Legacy
by FrostingFire
Summary: After an unfortunate event during his childhood, Jaune Arc became Jonathan Beauregard. His memories, erased, his potential, unbound. Heir to a slowly mending kingdom, Jaune must discover the truth about his heritage while also surviving Beacon and the development of his abilities. Maybe the voices in his head can give him some answers... They say it's all due to his legacy.
1. Prologue: The fallen

**So... here we are. I've delayed this rewrite for a long time and now that I've done this I have to say that I'm really satisfied with this story. I hope that you guys like it.**

 **I don't own RWBY.**

 **Beta: Hedgehog of Time.**

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Author POV

"...Now you become a paragon of justice and virtue. I release your soul, my son, to protect you from the darkest shadows of the world." Beatrice Arc finished, feeling her ten-year old son's aura ignite the room.

"Mommy, why did you do that?" The little boy asked. She knew that time was short, her husband had fallen already. She restrained her tears and looked her youngest child in the eye. His blue eyes were full of fear. A pair of eyes that matched her own.

"Jaune, sweetie, mommy has to help your big sisters right now. Katherine will keep you safe." She looked at the elder woman, Katherine Beauregard, a loyal servant of the Arc house. In her younger days, she acted as a spy in the Faunus Revolution against General Lagoone. Now, as a retired, but still powerful, huntress, she would fit perfectly for the job. "We'll try to find you as soon as we can."

"But what about daddy?" Beatrice strengthened the grip on her weapon, a long bow now that turned into a staff. "Why did the guards attack him? Where is he?"

"I'll tell you everything later, honey, I promise." A piercing scream filled the night. Beatrice's eyes widened. "I have to go! Take him to Glynda!"

"Mommy...?" She hugged her son as hard as she could without crushing him, caressing his blonde hair.

"I love you, my little Knight." She said, tearing up.

"I love you too, mommy." Beatrice kissed her son's forehead and ran towards the battlefield. Katherine took Jaune's hand.

"Jaune, darling, we have to go." The boy nodded without saying a word. Katherine covered her face with the hood of her black cloak. Jaune repeated the gesture with his smaller, dark blue cloak. They passed through halls and halls as quick as possible. "We have to be quiet. Oh so quiet, like little mice we must be quiet." She said to the boy, who started sobbing. She looked at the source of his crying and felt a sharp pain in her heart. Lying in the great hall, surrounded by blood, is no one else than King Jonas Arc. He took down a impressive number of guards, but was taken down by their numbers. "Don't look..."

"They're here!" A guard screams on the other side of the hall. It didn't took long before a dozen guards swarmed through the corridor. Katherine pushed Jaune behind her, taking off her hood. A silver diadem with a blue gemstone decorated her face. Her platinum blonde hair fell to her side like a silk curtain. Her usually warm brown eyes were full of hatred, causing a scowl to mar her face. Time had tainted her features, but she still held an aristocratic beauty that few people at fifty five years could claim. She slowly raised her right hand to the side of her head, the guards still running towards them with weapons in hand, and emitted an ethereal blue light from the gemstone of her diadem. A psychic wave was propelled towards the guards, hitting the frontline with full force. Jaune watched defenceless as they got up. He looked around until his eyes found the golden pommel of his father's sword: Aurum Mortem. The Golden Death.

He grabbed the sword and it's scabbard, turning it to it's shield form. He tried to assume a fighting stance, but a combination of the sword being far too large and having no training made it impossible to do anything but wave the mighty blade. Katherine turned around, grabbing him by his arm. Jaune was confused about why she was going to run so quickly until he saw the guards of the frontline fighting their companions with merciless powerful strikes.

"It will buy us some time." She said, putting her hood on. She glimpsed at his father's sword. "Hide it, you'll be easily recognized." He did as he was told. They finally got out of the castle using a secret passage at the library. After running a couple miles into the forest, Jaune's legs failed. Katherine turned around. "Don't give up now, darling, we're almost there." He didn't moved. "Jaune?" She approached the boy, lifting his face up. He was crying **,** clutching his father's blade to him like a teddy bear. Katherine scanned her surroundings, knowing that his negative emotions could bring nearby Grimm. "Jaune, look at me." The boy reluctantly opened his eyes. "We have to get to the safe house. Your mother and sisters are going to meet us there. I need you to hold on until there, okay? We can't risk attracting Grimm." She cleared his tears and watched as he forced himself to stand up. A low growl ringed her senses. She bit back a curse, watching as a pack of Beowolves surrounded them. She focused on the Alpha, knowing that her semblance would be useless on the other ones. Lesser Grimm are mindless, so they can't be controlled.

Katherine was a Telepath. A rare, powerful semblance that allows the user to read and control minds, also allowing her to manipulate memories, creating or suppressing them. With a few effort, she could create psychic blasts to temporarily immobilize enemies, causing a painful migraine. She only had a shot.

A powerful blast hit the Alpha. His eyes changing from red to blue. He fought physically and mentally, but his will was suppressed. The lesser Grimm were still waiting for orders, and then Katherine started talking.

"You're going to retreat, leading your pack miles away from us. If you find any humans, you won't attack." The Alpha's eyes turned red for an instant, but they quickly reverted to blue and quickly did as he was ordered to. The pack walked away, disappearing into the night.

"They won't come back, right?" Jaune asked. His father's sword was trembling in his hands.

"They shouldn't. Grimm are easier to control than humans. Now let's get going, okay?" Jaune nodded, walking at Katherine's side.

"How can you do that? You never told me you can do that." The young boy asked reluctantly.

"It's my semblance." The boy muttered something. "Your mother unlocked your aura, so it won't take long until you learn yours."

"I wish I could do what you do." The boy said, almost whispering. Katherine smiled at the boy, but her traces turned harsh for a second. It wasn't time nor place to discuss this, but at least it was distracting the boy from the bad things he saw. She kept going.

"You probably won't, darling. Each semblance is unique. It is related to your own soul, to your deepest desire." She winced, regretting of her use of words.

"What's yours?" The boy innocently asked with genuine curiosity. She couldn't back off now without hurting him. After a deep breath, she conceded.

"I wanted to be in control." The boy frowned. She knew he wasn't going to accept only that as an answer. But he didn't argue, and she could appreciate that. She basically saw the boy grow up with her own eyes. She helped to raise him and his sisters as their nanny and bodyguard. She could only hope that Jaune's sisters were going to make it. The youngest sister was eighteen years old, all of them being graduated or in training huntresses. Katherine knew they were ready to defend themselves. She helped to train all of them. After tiring twenty minutes, they arrived at a rustic log house.

"We arrived first." Jaune said. Katherine nodded.

"Don't worry, darling. They can take care of themselves." She opened the door to reveal a dusty empty room. A fireplace was placed against a wall. The kitchen was empty, but they has water from a small lake behind the house. A few blankets were stored inside a wardrobe. It wasn't much, but it would suffice for now. "Do you need anything?" She asked him while taking off her cloak. He shook his head. "Don't hesitate to ask me, okay?" He nodded. "Do you want to talk?"

"I-I..." He looked down. "I don't understand. Why did we have to run? Why did the guards attack us? Why is father..." He couldn't finish the sentence. Katherine hugs him closely. His father, her student, friend, king and ally was dead.

"Sometimes people with a cause stand against the ones who're in power because they don't agree with their ways. Your father fought for what he thought was right, and people like me supported him. But his decisions didn't please everyone, some... bad people were starting to get angry. I guess things just turned into a point where they couldn't hold back their anger anymore and decided that they would try to fight for what they thought was right by any means necessary." She thought about what she said, hoping that it was a good way to explain politics to a ten-year old boy. "Get some rest, okay? Your mother and sisters should arrive soon."

She watched as Jaune grabbed his blanket and sat next to a corner, wrapping himself in a cocoon. The sight remembered her of before the attack, when he and his elder sisters wrapped themselves into blankets and crashed against each other. The memory brought a smile to her face. Time went on and the only signs of life were their breathing. Katherine started to worry. It has been two hours. The boy fell asleep long ago due to his exhaustion and there were no signs of his mother and sisters. She couldn't leave him alone and search for them.

Katherine took a deep breath and assumed a meditative state. Her mind wandered through the dark forest, searching for any signs of life. She found lots of Grimm, dragged towards the fallen kingdom, but no sign of the Arcs. She kept her search as long as she could, but the intense use of her semblance claimed it's price. Her mind was launched back to her body, causing her to wake up from the meditative state. A minor headache started to show up. She looked around. Jaune is still asleep. Her hand wandered through her pockets, grabbing her scroll. She waited long enough. She went outside while dialing Glynda's number.

"Katherine! What's happening? They're broadcasting the attacks, are you okay? Where are Beatrice and Jonas?" The voice of the Headmistress filled the silence.

"Jonas is dead. Beatrice and the girls are missing, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were... dead as well." Glynda didn't answered, so she kept talking. "I'm with Jaune in the safe house next to Azure lake. I need you to get in a bullhead and get us out of here."

"I-I'm on my way." She turned off, getting back inside. Jaune was on his feet, wearing a confused face.

"Where is my mom?" He asked.

"She's..." Katherine but her lip. "She's taking too much time, darling. So we have to go before the bad people find us."

"Is she dead?" He asked, and she was genuinely surprised by his choice of words.

"I don't know." She said, knowing that it was true. Beatrice could still be alive. "Your godmother is going to take us to somewhere safe. Do you remember her?"

"Auntie Glyn?" Katherine nodded. "But what about mom? Juniper, Jane, Jean, Joan, Johanna and Juliet? We can't leave them behind! Call them! Tell them where we are!" It's not like Katherine hadn't thought about that, but it was highly recommended to not call them if they were in a middle of a fight, or hiding. Jaune must have sensed her hesitation and was about to cry. "Please."

"Fine. One call." She dialed Johanna's number. The elder sister always kept her scroll next to her. A blonde haired woman with green eyes was shown on the screen, she had a nasty cut on her forehead but seemed fine. "Johanna, this is Katherine. What's your position?"

"Thank goodness that you're safe. Is Jaune with you?" The older woman nodded. "Good. I'm heading towards the meeting place with Jane and Juliet."

"What about the others?" Johanna's face fell. Katherine's paled. "No."

"I-I promised mom to keep them safe. She held them back with the twins so we could escape. Juniper's wounds just got worse and... She didn't make it." Katherine looked at Jaune, who stared at the floor, shocked.

"We'll have a bullhead here soon. Get here as fast as you can." Johanna nodded.

"We'll be there shortly." Johanna ended the call. Jaune was on his knees, tears blurring his vision. His sobs quickly filled the room.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry." Katherine hugged him. "I know how it hurts, but you're not alone, understood? You still have a family. Your sisters, your godmother and I will take good care of you." He cried into sleep. A few minutes later, Johanna arrived with Juliet and Jane. Katherine received the three of them with a hug.

"Jaune! Where is he..." Johanna's worried face disappeared when she saw her little brother. Her battle axe slipped from her hand. Tears of happiness filled her eyes as he run towards her brother. Her sisters right besides her. Jaune woke up with all the commotion around him. He saw his sisters and broke down. Johanna hugged him closely. "It's going to be okay now."

"I want mommy back. And daddy, and Juniper, Joan, and Jean. I want them to be here." He said.

"I know." The youngest sister, Juliet, caressed his hair. Her lavender eyes calming down her brother. "We all do. There is a time in everyone's lives when we learn to do the best to keep our loved ones safe. I'm just sad that you had to learn that by the worst way imaginable."

"They are here with us. We're Arcs. Our ancestors will always guide us and live through our memories and love. They'll never be forgotten." Jane said. As huntresses, they had experienced lost and grief. At times like this, on this job, you have to learn to block your emotions out until you're out of danger. The three Arc sisters seemed fine on the outside, but the breakdown was inevitable.

A ringtone broke the silence that followed up. Johanna got her scroll as quick as she could do it physically.

"It's mom!" She accepted the call. "Mom, where are you?! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It takes more than that to take down an Arc matriarch. Jean is fine, Joan is severely injured, but she's still with us." She looked off camera for a second. "Where are you? Are you there yet? Is Jaune with you?"

"We ran towards the lake, as you told us to. We're with Jaune, don't worry." Beatrice looked relieved.

"Thank goodness. I'll see you soon. Love you all." She turned off the call.

"She's alive." Johanna laughed. "Did you hear that, little brother? Mom is fine. She's coming to get us." Jaune immediately calmed down. "Juliet, how much aura do you have left?"

"Enough to heal Joan once she gets here. I'll probably be without Aura after that." Juliet said, her whip and spear combo laying besides her. Her semblance was called Healer, obviously for healing people. "I can probably heal your forehead, if you want me to. It's not wise to have a open wound like this."

"Save your semblance for Joan. We don't know the extent of her injuries." Juliet nodded, but still grabbed a few materials from her belt pouches and approached her sister. Cleaning the wound was the least she could do.

"Jane, could you get some water for me, please?" The field medic received a nod from her sister, who got up. Jane grabbed the pair of pistols attached to the back of her belt, just in case of a Grimm encounter. Minutes passed as they waited patiently. Johanna's eyes suddenly fell towards her father's sword.

"Aurum Mortem..." She muttered.

"Jaune recovered in an attempt to defend ourselves." Katherine explained. "He didn't use it." She reassured them. Johanna left out a relieved sigh. Her brother wouldn't have to kill anyone yet. She hoped things didn't have to change anytime soon.

A loud bang coming from the outside startled them. The sisters grabbed their weapons and entered a defensive formation. Their mother opened the door and quickly closed it behind her.

"Where are the twins?" Jane asked, giving her mother a hug.

"We were attacked by Ursa. I fought them while Jean took Joan out of there. They were ahead of me, I thought they had already arrived." Juliet and Johanna shared a worried look.

"We will look out for them." Juliet said, earning a nod from her two sisters. Beatrice suddenly fell to the floor before they reached the door. "Mom!"

"I'm fine... D- Don't worry." Jaune ran towards his mother.

"Mommy? Are you okay?" His eyes widened when he saw a red stain quickly spreading through her clothes.

"No. No. No..." Juliet turned around immediately, kneeling down and pressing her hands over the wound. White light bursts from her hands as the wound closes.

"Thank you... Sweetheart." The last part came out as a growl. "Mommy feels way better now." A dark pulse was emitted from her body, knocking the sisters, Katherine and Jaune away. They quickly get up to see the image of their mother disappear, replaced by a tall, black haired man with a well-trimmed beard. His poisonous green eyes sparkled as he smirked triumphantly. "Your mother really did a number on me, but I knew that I could count on you."

"No." Juliet immediately paled. Of all people, it had to be him.

"Michael Rasputin." Katherine growled. The sisters retrieved their weapons and stood between him and Jaune, who was incredibly confused and scared.

"Hello there, Katherine. It's been years since we last spoke." Katherine gritted her teeth and Rasputin's grin got wider. "How is your son?"

"Dead." The Arcs, except for Juliet, turned their eyes towards their mentor and protector, surprised by the sudden reveal.

"Oh, it's true! It was really a shock, that tragedy. Who would have guessed that Daniel would've ran into my sword eight times!" The tension inside the room got stronger and stronger. "He was always a clumsy kid while growing up. Still, he lasted longer than the twins." Venom practically dripped from his words. Johanna snapped at this new information, aiming a slash towards his neck.

Michael easily avoided her attacks, his grin never disappearing from his face. Juliet immediately followed her sister, aiming her spear towards vital spots. Rasputin drew his sword, parrying the attacks with precise blows. Jane was on the back keeping an eye on Jaune, but fired every time she saw an opening. He was focusing on his defense, what would be predictable and even advisable, but something was wrong and Katherine knew it. She saw at least six wasted opportunities to attack, which meant he wasn't attacking on purpose. Tiring them out maybe? She knew it wasn't his style. He would normally go for ruthless, well placed attacks. This wasn't leading anywhere.

"Stop." Katherine ordered. Johanna frowned as if she was crazy.

"Why?! He killed our sisters!" Juliet shouted back. "He's brought nothing but pain into our lives! He's the reason for all of this to be happening!"

"Don't forget mommy and daddy, sweetheart." With a renewed anger, Juliet managed to get her whip to tangle itself around his left leg, causing him to trip. Johanna's axe was pointed right next to his throat.

"Give a reason for me to not sink my axe into your head." She growled.

"You'll ruin this pretty face of mine?" The blade got closer. "No sense of humor got it."

"Why did you do this to our family?" Jane asked, her both pistols pointed at his head just in case.

"Finally some clever questions. I knew that I could count on you for that, Jane." Juliet kicked his stomach. Michael winced but didn't show any other signs of pain.

"Answer her!" He rolled his eyes at her remark.

"Easy there, love. Just got it fixed up." He smirked again. "Isn't it simple? I want all of you dead. After all, it's not like your parents and I were in the best relationship after what they did to me, but let's stop talking about the past. Unless my dear Juliet wishes to tell one of our tales."

"I can't believe that I used to love you." Juliet said, almost in a whisper.

"Juliet?" Jane was genuinely shocked and confused. Johanna frowned but seemed more saddened than surprised. "You know him?"

"It was a long time ago. He certainly wasn't this pathetic excuse of a human being that he is now." He laughed at her remark.

"Now that hurt me more than that kick." He disappeared in a black blur, erupting from the shadows in the corner of the room. "It was fun, girls, but I'm afraid that this is the part where you die."

"As if you could face the four of us alone." Katherine said from behind.

"Save your words, you old witch. I'm not dumb enough to presume that. I hope that you don't mind that I invited a few more guests." The front walls of the house exploded. When the smoke cleared, a entire battalion of soldiers stood against them. Most of them were armed like the soldiers from the castle, but some of them were wearing white clothes and Grimm masks, pointing their weapons towards them.

"The White Fang?" Jane frowned, a pistol aimed at Michael and the other aimed at the crowd. Before anyone could react, Katherine fired a blue beam from her diadem. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, creating a wall between them and the White Fang grunts. The ice dust crystal stopped glowing when she took the accessory from her head. It's form switching to a silver dagger. The ice dust crystal now in the pommel. The girls and Jaune looked slightly surprised, but Michael just looked amused.

"You're no fun, but I'm actually honored to see this war relic in action again! What's its name again? Silver Frost?" He was answered by another ice beam, emitted from the pommel. He barely dodged it in time.

"Johanna, fight the soldiers back. Juliet, you follow her." The sisters reluctantly agreed, jumping over the ice wall. "Jane, take Jaune out of here. I'll handle this bastard." Jane took Jaune's hand in hers, while he grabbed his father's sword. The little boy couldn't cry anymore, now he was just trying to keep the rest of his family safe. If that meant getting out of the way, he would oblige.

"It looks like we're fighting again." He said, looking excited. "The last time this happened, someone ended up bleeding on the floor."

"But this time you'll be the one who's bleeding." Michael grinned.

"Entertain me." She rushed at him at impressive speeds, her dagger meeting his sword in a series of slashes. He disappeared in a shadow, appearing right behind her ready for a critic blow. Her enhanced senses allowed her to dodge in time, exploiting the momentum to hit him on his shoulder. His aura took the hit, but he managed to swing his sword in a crescent arc, forcing Katherine to slide back to avoid the hit, firing some ice bolts from her dagger while doing so. He disappeared again in a series of blurred shadows around her. There was no way of knowing from where his next attack would come. So, she did the best she could. Preparing her dagger and putting up a plan, she dashed out of the house. The moonlight was strong out there, sparking against the ice wall and lightning up the place. There were way less shadows than inside of the house. The battle sounds on the other side were intensifying, she wondered how the girls were doing. Still, she knew by the shouts behind her that they wouldn't give up without a fight.

 _Fight..._

"Johanna! I need cover!" Juliet called for her sister as the battle intensified. Johanna raised an arm towards her sister and big roots erupted from the ground, covering Juliet while she charged her weapon with dust. Johanna's semblance earned her the tittle of "Battle Gardener" due to her ability to turn the environment against her enemies. Right now, she had the field advantage. White Fang soldiers fought vainly against roots and vines that trapped them into the ground or above the trees. Juliet was also fighting with everything she had, her whip cracking around the battlefield and hitting her enemies with a powerful type of earth dust, that spread through skin, petrifying the target upon contact. For that infamous move, and the use of her whip, she was known as "Medusa".

"See if you can find Jane! I can hold them for a while!" Johanna ordered. Juliet frowned.

"But what about you? Do you have enough aura to keep them out of the battle?" She asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'll be fine! Arc's aura, remember?" Juliet rolled her eyes, running towards her sister. Johanna cursed and covered her while she ran. Before she could say a thing, she felt Juliet's aura merging with her own.

"Don't argue with me. You'll need this more than I do." Her green eyes met her sister's blue ones as they shared a quick hug. "Take care."

"You too." And with that, Juliet disappeared from her view, running towards the lake. She focused on the soldiers in front of her. "Alright, you bastards! I'm feeling generous today so I'll give you all a choice. Do you want to be impaled by spikes or constricted by roots?" They ignored her, charging at her with a blind fury.

 _Blind..._

Jaune couldn't see, only hear the sounds of the battlefield. The quietest sister was nervous and Jaune could feel that. She watched the battle from a tree, managing to shot one or two soldiers from time to time with the aid of her sniper rifle, which was a combination of the two smaller pistols and the retractable staff that she kept stored inside one of her pockets. Being a long range fighter, she avoided physical combat every time she could. After shooting down a grunt that tried to get Juliet from behind, she noticed that her sister seemed to run towards their direction. Johanna was still fighting at the center of the battlefield, her roots crushing their defenses and quickly putting them down.

"Jane?" The youngest Arc called.

"Yes, Jaune?" She said, aiming for another lethal shot. A bullet, a death. She couldn't spare a single shot.

"Shouldn't aunt Glynda be here for now?" He asked. Jane raised an eyebrow. It was a fair question. After a perfect shot, she spoke.

"She's at Vale. The trip from Vale to Arkend takes at least two hours. Plus, she might have had some trouble in finding a bullhead." She was satisfied with her answer and recharged her bullets.

 _Bullets..._

The sword was also a gun. Of course. Younger generations and their guns, Katherine sighed while dodging another bullet and cutting other in half with a precise cut. The ice behind her cracked with the shots.

"Are you dead yet?" He yelled from behind the wreckage that used to be a wall. His answer was an ice beam that passed inches over his head. He groaned, getting up. He traveled through the shadows and appeared at her side. Katherine, however, was aware of all the points that he could appear around her. She dodged his attack and hit the pummel at his head while putting a little bit of aura in it. The crystal reacted, coating the pummel with a hard ice layer. He took the blow, tumbling away quickly. He shook his head, trying to recover, Katherine exploited the opportunity to hit a series of quick slashes and stabs. "Okay. I've had enough." A pulse of dark energy was emitted from his body, knocking Katherine away once again. He didn't waste time and dashed at her, she ducked the first blow, but was hit by a kick in the stomach.

She managed to get up quickly, blocking his slash with her dagger and aiming a punch at his throat. He ducked to his side, aiming for a wide slash. Katherine blocked it but was left with an opening at her ribs. He saw that and aimed an aura reinforced punch at her. Katherine endured the spot with her aura but still was thrown back by his strength.

 _Strength..._

Jaune knew he wasn't strong. Not like his sisters, not like his parents, not like Katherine and certainly not like that mysterious man that took everything from him.

Still, he was standing there holding his father's sword and shield, waiting for an attack. He had to be ready to fight. He couldn't run, he had to protect them. He would be sure that no one else dies tonight. Jane suddenly jumped from the tree. Jaune was about to ask her why, but then he saw Juliet coming towards them. He wanted to run to meet her, but Jane stopped him, changing her sniper rifle back to her pistols. The staff fell to the ground.

"Stop right there." Jane ordered in her cold, analytical voice. A lock of hair covered part of her eye, but she didn't bother to move it. Jaune was confused, but then remembered about the peculiar ability of the man. His sister was just making sure. "Identify yourself."

"Juliet Edwards Arc. Twenty two years old, graduated from Atlas Academy. Leader of Team JGNT (Juggernaut). Born in Arkend, third oldest sister of the Arcs. You guys call me Julie. My semblance is Healing and I accidentally broke a finger when you and I were playing in the dungeons. You took the responsibility so dad wouldn't fight with me." Jane lowered her weapons.

"What are you doing here? Johanna will need your help!" Jane said while grabbing her staff and forming her sniper rifle. She climbed the tree and aimed at the battlefield while waiting for an explanation.

"Johanna ordered me to check up on you two. She is efficiently holding them back on her own." She waited for her sister to shoot. A bullet less later, she continued. "Katherine is still fighting with that as..." She looked at her brother. "A-astonishingly skilled, but evil, man."

"We should advance a little bit. I can't get a good vision from here." Her eyes widened for a mere second when she saw a shot fired towards her. She quickly activated her semblance, her skin being covered by a strong, organic diamond. The bullet was smashed at her forehead and dropped on the ground. She shot the enemy sniper and joined her siblings on the ground. She dismissed her diamond form only to get punched in the arm by Juliet. "Why was that for?" She asked, not really hurt nor angry.

"Jane Grace Arc! Don't you scare me like that again!" Jane rolled her eyes while all that Jaune could do was to stare in awe. His sisters are awesome!

 _Sisters..._

There were no other thoughts on Johanna's mind besides protecting her younger sisters and brother. She noticed that bullets occasionally killed one or two enemies that she couldn't see. She smiled internally, knowing that Jane was behind that. The aura boost that Juliet have her made a huge difference. Speaking of the devil, she wasn't surprised to see her sister back so quickly. The shots had also became more frequent, what meant that Jane had found a better spot.

"I presume that you found them, right?" She asked while blossoming venomous flowers at the enemy side, poisonous mist taking down a full squad. She heard at least four cracks of her sister's whip, stone quickly spreading through her unfortunate targets.

"Yes. Jane got a nice cover and Jaune's with her. He has dad's sword and aura, so he isn't completely defenseless." Johanna nodded, getting cover. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired from using my semblance for so long. There's tons of them." She took a deep breath, getting up. "I think I'll do some close combat now." She took her battle axe from her back. "Can I count on you for covering my back?" Juliet rolled her eyes before assuming a fighting stance against her sister's back.

"Stay close, don't act recklessly and do not, under any circumstances, get in the way of my attacks." Johanna grinned.

"Ditto." The sisters charged at the soldiers, weapons in hand and ready to fight for their lives.

 _Ready..._

Katherine was ready to counter attack when she was surprised by another dark energy pulse. She felt his boot pressing against her pulse, forcing her to drop her weapon.

"Getting a little rusty, aren't we?" He smiled triumphantly. Katherine rolled her eyes, blowing a lock of hair away from her face.

"Didn't your parents teach you to respect the elders?" He frowned. "Oh, that's right. Forgive me. They're dead." She fired a telepathic blast at him, making him wince in pain. He fought against the migraine. The sight of a bullhead at distance instantly relieved Katherine. Glynda was here. They still had a chance. Before Michael could recover, she blasted her way through the ice. She could sense Johanna and Juliet next to the lake, and sent a telepathic message to them. _"Bullhead incoming. Stay there, I'll take care of the rest. Try to take down as many as you can."_ Katherine saw shots being fired from a distant tree next to some rocks. Jane's long blonde hair shined against the moonlight. After taking a entire squad under her control, Katherine crossed the battlefield, using the soldiers to attack or as human shields. When she was next to Jane's spot, she ordered them to attack themselves. "Jane, bullhead!"

"Got it." Jane didn't need to interrogate the woman, seeing her using her abilities from distance. "Jaune, be ready to run." The young boy nodded. "Stay next to me." Jane turned into diamond and got both her pistols back. "Ready? Run!"

The three of them ran towards the lake. Jane protected her brother from the bullets by simply getting in their way, firing back precise shots while Katherine fired ice blasts by focusing aura inside the crystal, her dagger now back to it's diadem form. Katherine spotted Michael running at them, and tried to intercept him with another ice wall. The bullhead was hovering over the lake, so Katherine froze it, draining the crystal completely, and watched as Johanna created an impenetrable barrier of massive roots that kept the soldiers from advancing. Jane and Jaune reached the sisters, her diamond skin slowly fading away.

"Finally." Jane said. "My aura is practically depleted after that ru..." She was interrupted by the blade that passed through her chest. From the shadows of the bullhead, Michael stood, pulling his blade out of Jane's dead body. Jaune reacted out of pure anger, four humanoid creatures were formed from the ice beneath his feet, tackling the man away. Johanna quickly recovered from her shock and joined the fight. Juliet tried to heal her sister, but it wasn't getting any results. Blood tainted the floor, freezing upon the above average cold ice.

"Unfortunately, love, you can't bring back the dead, can you?" Michael grinned while blocking another slash from Johanna. Jaune's humanoid creatures had already turned into debris and the boy passed out from using his semblance carelessly for the first time. His unconscious body was enveloped by a purple energy and lifted up, quickly getting inside the bullhead. Juliet joined her sister a split second later, using her spear to try to break his defenses. Katherine prepared her dagger, and was ready to fight when she heard the shout from Juliet.

"Go with Jaune! Don't worry about us!" Katherine frowned, ignoring Juliet's wishes. They wouldn't make out of it alive. She tried to approach, but Johanna fired at the ice between them with her axe, that apparently it's also a gun. Unable to freeze it again, she considered her options. Even if she could escape with Jaune, Michael would track them down later. If she stayed they could actually have a chance, plus they had Glynda as a backup. However, by the sounds on the other side of the wall of roots, the army was managing to somehow get past Johanna's plants. They would be outnumbered and exhausted. She had to make a decision, and a fast one.

Putting together all that was left of her aura, she focused at Michael. She passed his mental barriers as if they were made of paper, and he was too busy fighting the sisters to notice that. She focused on creating a memory. An elaborate one. It would feel so real that he would never forget it. Katherine established the scenario, she entered on the bullhead and ordered Glynda to go. She was too focused to hear the headmistress answer, but felt the vehicle moving. She waited a few seconds for the bullhead to stabilize and made it seem like Michael was shooting the bullhead while defending himself. Now he hit the fuel tanks, a spark and... Boom! The bullhead crashed into the lake, disappearing into the deep waters.

Michael's laugh echoed through the night, he had saw what she wanted him to see. At least she hadn't failed one of the Arc children. A loud crack was heard at the battlefield as a huge root fell over the frozen lake, breaking the ice and dragging the two last sisters down. Unknown to both of them, their enemy had disappeared in a cloud of dark shadows.

"Where do we go?" Glynda asked from the pilot seat. Katherine closed her eyes and felt a tear running down her face.

"To somewhere safe, where no one else can find us." She said, caressing the child's hair. Katherine knew that she had to do something about him, he couldn't be Jaune Arc anymore since he was supposedly dead and his family was definitely gone. Katherine day sat next to Glynda at the co-pilot seat. The headmistress glanced at her, waiting for an explanation. "It started when a reunion was called..."

After a detailed explanation of all the events in the past four and a half hours, Katherine took a deep breath. Glynda focused on piloting the bullhead, avoiding eye contact. Her usual stern eyes were fighting the tears. She had been at team BRGD (Brigade), lead by Beatrice. She was at Beatrice's marriage as the maid of honor and at her coronation as a Queen. She was there when every child was born and was Jaune's godmother. She saw the girls graduating from Beacon, the Arcs were basically her family. Glynda finally broke the silence.

"What are we going to do about Jaune?" She asked. Katherine had asked herself that question since she entered the bullhead. She had been trying to come up with a plan to keep them safe. Michael thought that they were dead, plus he didn't knew that Glynda was the one piloting the bullhead.

"We are going to pretend that you had him with Daniel. You were on the same team at Atlas Academy and, if I remember well, you and my son used to have a relationship." Glynda looked away, but nodded. "He'll get Daniel's surname and I'll pretend to be his Grandmother."

"I have an apartment at Vale." Glynda said. "I only use it during school break, but it has a more space than I need. You two can live there with me."

"Good. Once my aura is complete I'll change his memories." Glynda's eyes widened. "I'm not erasing them." She said as if she could read Glynda's mind. As a matter of fact, she could. "I'm clouding them. For our plan to work he needs to act like a normal child. After what he has seen today, I don't think that'll be possible. Once he's aged up, we'll tell him the truth and I'll give his memories back."

"What about his first name? It's very recognizable." Katherine thought about it for a couple of seconds.

"Jonathan. John, to put it simply. Jonathan Beauregard." Glynda raised an eyebrow, looking satisfied with her choice. "It still sounds similar, but is a much more common name."

"It will fit perfectly." Glynda glimpsed back at the boy, who was comfortably wrapped in his cape. His father's sword and shield laying right next to him. "How did he passed out again?"

"Aura exhaustion, probably. He used what I think it is his semblance for the first time." Katherine said. "It's a unique one. Some kind of summoning."

"Like the Schnee's semblance?" Glynda asked.

"No, it seemed more like a form of animation. He made those humanoids out of ice, his semblance uses the environment's resources to summon his creations." Katherine looked at Jaune. "If trained properly, he will be able to raise an army from the ground whenever he wishes to."

"Golem Animation." Katherine nodded. "A rare and powerful one, that is. I believe you'll train him to be a hunter, am I right?"

"Beatrice always knew that her children would have to learn how to fight. It won't be different with him." She glanced at the sword. "He already got a weapon, thought we should probably modify it. Maybe modify the shield's symbol and the color. It can be easily arranged."

"He can apply to a training school. There's Signal Academy at Vale. I know the teachers, one of them has two daughters around his age, and..."

"No." Katherine said simply. "I trained all the Arc children by myself, and all of them graduated from the best combat schools. He'll do the application test at Beacon when the time comes."

"If he wants to be a hunter." Glynda pointed out. Katherine crossed her arms.

"He's an Arc. It's in his blood. Besides, it's in his semblance. He was born to lead, to protect. And when the time comes, we will help him to claim his name back." She looked down. "I'll guarantee he will be prepared to fight."

"Don't say that. It's like you're going to use him as your tool to get revenge." Katherine glared at Glynda. "If you want to train them, I can support that, but let he decide whether he wants to claim the crown or not. Don't corrupt him to be a vengeful person and let him follow his own choices. We're already making a big one without his permission."

Katherine didn't said a word for the remainder of the trip. Instead deciding to rest and recover her energy. A dreamless slumber was more than she could ask for after that night. She didn't knew how much time had passed until Glynda woke her up.

"He's awake." That was more than enough to make Katherine get up. She looked at Jaune, who appeared to be just a shadow of the happy and energetic child he used to be. His eyes were slightly swollen and he was looking down at his feet. She approached the boy silently.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Katherine said. Jaune didn't reply, but nodded. "We're going to protect you, you understand that?" The boy frowned for a second, slightly confused, but nodded again. Katherine pressed her hands against his temples, lifting his head. He stared at her apathetically. "I hope you can forgive me someday." Jaune's eyes widened as Katherine invaded his head, cutting and sewing the fabric of his mind, creating new memories to replace the blocked ones. Ten years of his life were changed in mere twenty minutes. Katherine fixed up the memory gaps that were left and finished her masterpiece. She grabbed Jonas's sword and handed it to Glynda. Jaune was unconscious for the next five minutes, opening his drowsy eyes and facing Katherine. He looked at her with a confused and tired face.

"Grandma... What time is it?" He looked at his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"We're moving to Vale, darling, don't you remember?" He smiled and nodded, to Katherine's relief.

"That's right. Mommy's piloting." He yawned. "I'm tired. When will we arrive?"

"It won't take long, Jau... John." Katherine forced a smile. "You can go back to sleep, I'll wake you up when we arrive."

"Thank you..." He yawned again. "Good night."

"Good night, sweetie." When he finally got to sleep, Katherine went back to the pilot's cabinet. "It's done." Glynda looked sad, but nodded. It would be for the best. Jaune was her son now, and she silently promised herself to protect him with her life. That was what Beatrice would have done, and actually did.

She would have to have a long talk with Ozpin, maybe convince him to hire a second combat classes teacher for the higher years. She had a little boy to take care of now, and she would be a part of his life.


	2. Chapter 1: The truth

**I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I had some trouble with... well, life in general. I've finished high school, took the MET exam, went to my great grandmother's birthday (95 years and still with her mind as sharp as a knife), spent a lot of ocious time catching up with my favorite series. Yeah... life has been busy, but I'm not in a position to complain.**

 **I'm with more free time now, so much time that I'm already planing other fanfictions. My next project will be released soon, and I just can't wait!**

 **Also, happy thanksgiving! It is a little late, but... better now than never.**

 **Beta: Hedgehog of Time.**

* * *

 **Author's POV**

 **Time skip: 6 and a half years later. Beacon's enrollment period.**

Jaune was surrounded. A unknown sword met his own, followed closely by other two. He blocked the one aiming at his ribs with his shield and ducked under the other one, the blade missing his head by a few inches. Jaune managed to get a good angle and switched his shield to it's gun form. After a perfect shot, one of his assailants fell down. He traded a few blows with the other two, who were quickly over matched by his superior speed and strength. A headless foe fell to the ground followed by the other one, who was stabbed in the chest.

"Excellent." The lights were turned on. Katherine Beauregard stepped out from the shadows using her civilian clothes. Her hair was braided in a single silver braid on the back of her head, shining against the simple black dress that fell to her knees. She wasn't wearing the characteristic diadem. She walked towards Jaune, ignoring the destroyed training robots in the ground. "You should have no problem applying to Beacon."

"Are you sure, Grams?" Jaune scratched the back of his head. His golden hair was cut short in a way that enhanced his facial features, his cerulean eyes showed confidence, but a little bit of reluctance. "You did wonders with my training, but I don't think that they will send only training robots for me to face."

"John." The name became easier to pronounce after all those years. "What bothers you? You aced your History and Grimm studies test, as well as Dust Manipulation. There's only the Combat test left."

"I know. I think I'm just nervous." He shrugged, making his armor shoulder plates make metals noises. His combat outfit included his armored shoulder plates, from where a purple ravaged cloak fell into his back. He wore a light purplish gray cotton sleeveless shirt and black pants. Finger-less gloves matched his belt, and his arm protectors shined brightly. Katherine raised an eyebrow. "You know that mom will be there today, I want to make her proud."

"I would be surprised if you weren't nervous." She walked around him, analyzing his reactions. "Well then, if you think that you're not ready yet I can do one more test." She got his interest. "Fight me."

"What?!" He exclaimed. "Grandma, I can't!"

"Because you think that I'm not on your level or because you're afraid?" Katherine asked, stopping behind him.

"Both. You're clearly way tougher than I am." Katherine let out a short laugh. Jaune turned around to face her. "That's not funny!"

"Yes it is." Katherine said. "I guess, to make things fair, I won't use my semblance. Wait for me to get ready." Jaune watched as his Grandmother left the room. There was no way to make her change her mind. Perhaps next time he would learn how to be quiet. After a sigh, he started to grab the robot parts and piled them on the corner of the room. He grabbed his sword, Aurum Mortem, and his round shield. Sometimes he got lost starting at the symbol of the sword's pummel: A pair of crescent moons. He didn't notice when Katherine entered the room, now wearing her combat attire. She wore black pants, a corset and a cloak with the same colour, the cloak had a hood and silver details on it's edges. The diadem now rested on her head, the ice dust crystal was replaced. She also had a pouch on her back with other crystals, refined to fit perfectly into her diadem. "Get into your stance."

"Are you sure Gran..." He was interrupted by a series of ice projectiles, but was able to duck and block with his shield. He didn't have time to recover, Katherine rushed at him with her dagger in hand. He knew he wouldn't be able to block, so he used his semblance and created a living wall in front of him. The bulky humanoid creature took the hit and stood unharmed. The creature raised his fists against Katherine, who jumped back and quickly grabbed a white crystal from her back. She switched the crystals, quickly firing a lightning bolt towards the Golem who ran towards her. A massive hole was made in the middle of the living rock, crumbling it to dust. The creature looked back at Jaune before fading away, the blonde giving it a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Theodore, you'll get her next time." Katherine never found out why gave that name to a giant piece of stone. Jaune's Golems were unique. They had something like of a conscience and had their own independent thoughts. Almost like Alpha Grimm, they had enough conscience to be controlled by Telepathy, but were immune to any kind of orders that didn't come from their master.

"Remember me to apologize to Teddy later." She told Jaune, who grinned.

"You know he can't hold a grudge." Jaune raised his shield, a compartment opened to reveal the edge of a gun. He fired some shots that almost hit Katherine, who simply dodged at the last second, or cut the bullets in half with a swift movement. Jaune dodged a lightning bolt and rushed forward with his sword ready. Katherine ducked beneath the slash and hit Jaune in the face with the dagger's pummel. The boy staggered back, trying to defend himself from the following attacks, that aimed at his chest and ribs. He blocked the best he could, but was clearly outmatched and fell to the ground, his aura still in green, but he was disarmed and with a blade pressing against his neck. "I yield." He no longer felt the blade's pressure and got up.

"You did reasonably well against me." She said, helping him to get up.

"I didn't have a chance." Katherine rolled her eyes, hitting the back of his head with a solid slap. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"You had a chance. Tell me what you learned."

"I need to be careful with my surroundings, especially when fighting people who are faster than I am. I should've taken off my armor to release weight and opted for another strategy." She nodded and made a sign for him to keep going. "I spent too much time defending when I should have attacked?"

"Is that a question or an affirmation?" Jaune was about to answer, but she kept talking. "It doesn't matter, it's right. Do you know why did you didn't exploited the opportunities I gave you?" He shook his head. "It's because, John, you were afraid to hurt me."

"But I..."

"You were afraid to hurt me and left yourself open. There's something I've learned after all those years of being a huntress: How to ignore emotions during battle. It doesn't matter who you're fighting, your opponent will be trying to hurt you. If there was a spy among your friends, someone who you trusted with your life. You'll be reluctant to attack him, to hurt him?" Katherine sighed at his lack of words. "I understand that it may sound ruthless, but that's something you may face. If your worst enemy had the ability to disguise himself as your friend, and try to kill you, would you hold back? Knowing that it may cost your life?" Jaune looked at her, trying to give a proper answer, but nothing came out from his mouth. "I'm not saying that you should trust no one, but remember: on the battlefield, everyone can be an enemy." Jaune nodded and Katherine flashed a smile. "Good, now go take a shower, your mother is coming for lunch."

"Right. Thank you for the advice, Grams." Katherine watched as he left the room, her smile disappearing. It was almost time to tell him the truth. To make things worse, Glynda would have already left for Beacon. This was never supposed to be easy.

 _Easy..._

Jaune never thought he would be so easily defeated. He expected to put up a better fight, but after his grandma's words, things made a lot more sense. He doubted himself know, wondering if he would be able to do whenever it takes to stay alive. Would he be able to kill? To leave someone to die? He honestly didn't knew. He stepped out from the shower and dresses in hiss civil clothes, dark black jeans, sneakers and a blue long sleeved shirt with a grey hood. He went to the dining room, beaming a smile to his mother, who were already sitting at the table. He kissed her head and sat next to her. His grandma entered the room carrying a tray with cooked meat.

"So, are you ready for tomorrow?" Glynda asked him after everyone had food on their plates.

"Grams says so. According to her, I shouldn't be worried since I aced the other tests." He sipped from his glass of water.

"And you shouldn't." Katherine pointed out. "They've got nothing on you. Plus, your theory exams were great. All you have to do is to not fail the test."

"Since I won't be the one judging your performance for obvious reasons, I can give you some final pointers before tomorrow." Glynda said. Jaune looked at her curiously.

"Who'll be judging me then?" Glynda sighed.

"Starting with your patience." Katherine suppressed a laugh. "Tara Copperhead. Combat instructor for the third and fourth years. We studied at Atlas Academy in the same year."

"You never speak of your time at Atlas Academy. Was she on your team?" He asked while Glynda looked at Katherine, who made a sign for her not to push on.

"No, she wasn't." She cleaned her throat. "Well, the food was delicious, but I'm afraid that I'll have to leave before dessert. Duty calls."

"Will you be there tomorrow?" Jaune asked her, slightly disappointed.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, besides, I'll be evaluating other students there as well." She got up and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." Jaune nodded and forced a smile. Katherine watched as Glynda went out with a sad face.

"You know she's just busy." She said, grabbing Jaune's hand from across the table. "This time of the year is one of the worst."

"I know. It's just... she never talks about her past. Every time I ask something she just changes the subject. You don't help me either. The only thing I know is that she and my dad were on the same team together. You told me that he died during a Grimm attack a ten years after my mother had me and we had to move from Atlas." He sighed. "I... Is it wrong that I want to have some answers?"

"No, it isn't. But I ensure you that they'll be answered someday." Katherine said, getting up. "But enough with this, the dessert is almost ready. Would you please help me to do the dishes while we wait?"

"You wash, I dry?" He asked with a grin.

"Obviously." He got up, grabbing the dishes from the table. Tomorrow would be an interesting day, he couldn't wait to get at Beacon.

 _Beacon..._

Jaune was waiting for his turn, looking at the arena where two hunters in training fought. His mother was judging the fight, a stern look on her face. Jaune was so focused on the fight that he didn't even notice some black haired girl sitting by his side.

"Nervous?" She asked, calling him out of his trance. He looked at the girl's amber eyes and smiled.

"Hey Blake, I didn't even notice your arrival." Blake rolled her eyes, focusing on the fight. "Ready for being in second place again today?" The girl frowned.

"You're ahead of me by a single point." Jaune shrugged.

"I'm still ahead." Blake hit him on his arm playfully. Their odd friendship had developed by a healthy competition since both of them were top of the group. "It seems like the orange haired brute got the advantage." He pointed out, as the mace wielder hit the smaller boy, dropping his aura to the red.

"The match goes for Cardin Winchester." Glynda said. "Please leave the arena."

"Our next match will be... Jonathan Beauregard and Blake Belladonna." A woman in her late forties with light brown hair and olive eyes spoke. Jaune recognized her as Tara Copperhead, the teacher his mother told him about. She wore a brown leather jacket over a green shirt, leather pants of the same color and black boots. Golden wristbands were attached to her wrist. Jaune smirked at Blake. "Please enter the arena."

"Ready to solve this once and for all?" Blake rolled her eyes but smirked back. After a couple moments, they reached their positions at the arena. "Good luck." Jaune said, readying his weapons. Blake nodded silently at him, getting ready as well.

"Begin!" Professor Copperhead exclaimed. Blake rushed towards Jaune with her katana in hands. Jaune blocked her sword with his own, impressed by her speed. He tried to bash her with his shield, getting a solid hit. Or at least what should've been a solid hit, since "Blake" disappeared upon his contact, appearing right behind him. Jaune couldn't hide his surprise and ended up being hit.

"So that's her semblance..." He muttered to himself. Some kind of shadow clones, maybe? Well, he could ask her about it later, since right now she was aiming at him with a pistol/sword. Jaune blocked her shots successfully, looking at his side just in time to see the pistol's blade coming towards him. He ducked down, avoiding the first hit. But them Blake kept spinning that whip-like pistol sword combo towards him. Jaune automatically used his semblance, summoning Theodore. The golem listened to his mental commands, grabbing Blake's weapon with a single hand and pulling it towards him. Blake, who was impressed by his ability, was pulled into the stone giant, avoiding a punch with a shadow clone. Jaune quickly started to attack her, getting a few successive hits with Teddy's help before Blake jumped and started to spin around the golem, who was still holding the other edge of her whip. She used the golem as a anchoring point, spinning and hitting Jaune with her scabbard while simultaneously wrapping Theodore. The golem grumbled while falling to the ground with an audible crash. "You did well, Teddy."

"Teddy? Like Theodore?" Blake asked while retrieving her weapon and readying herself for an attack. "Why would you name him Theodore?" She asked while blocking a slash from his sword.

"It suited him. And he likes his name a lot, thank you very much."Blake ducked a slash while trying to hit Jaune on his back. He blocked with his shield, firing a shot from the secret compartment at the same time. His arm recoiled back from the shot, but so did Blake. Jaune whirled and exploited the momentum to use his sword in a crescent arc, getting a solid hit on Blake. The girl stumbled back, panting.

"Not bad at all. I wasn't expecting that hidden gun." She glanced at her aura levels, his was higher than hers. She was genuinely surprised by his aura levels. He had been hit more than she was, but his aura was on yellow while hers was quickly dropping to orange. The fight was taking a lot more time than the other ones, which was expected from the top two contestants. He grinned at her, while taking off his shoulder plates.

"Welcome to Remnant, where everything is also a gun." Blake rolled her eyes, firing a few shots of Gambol Shroud. Jaune ducked them effortlessly, with such precise and graceful moves that wouldn't be possible with his heavy shoulder plates. Taking off weight increased his speed. Blake couldn't help but to wonder what kind of training he was exposed to. He moved with the agility and precision of a dancer. Jaune fought back with his own shots, which Blake dodged using her speed and semblance. She used her semblance to sprint in a series of after images, confusing Jaune and giving her the opportunity to hit him. Jaune ducked at the last second, as she expected him to do. Blake ducked below him, after creating a shadow clone to take the hit. Jaune winced in pain with her following slash, pressing his hand on his ribs while getting some space between him and Blake. And then he heard a voice, but he couldn't understand. His eyes turned completely white and the words started to make sense. _"Ore... Lapidibus."_ He said.

The debris from Theodore's body raised from the ground, surrounding Jaune with sharp stones. Jaune unconsciously pointed them towards Blake, the rocks followed her with high speeds. The black haired girl did her best to avoid them, but they tracked her down as missiles, ignoring her shadow clones and going for her instead. She looked at Jaune, his usually warm face was cold and focused and his eyes were pure white. Maybe if she could disrupt his concentration, the rocks would stop following her. Blake supposed his semblance was Geokinesis due to his affinity with the element. She aimed a precise shot, which would've hit if it weren't for a rock to get in the way. Every shot was blocked in a similar way. After two minutes, the buzzer indicated the end of the match. The stones instantly fell to the ground, crumbling into dust. Jaune's eyes turned back to the usual blue. He shook his head, a small headache starting to show up. He walked towards Blake and offered her a hand.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked with actual concern since he had never been able to do that before.

"I'm fine, John." She took his hand, getting up and dusting herself. "I wasn't expecting your semblance to be Geokinesis. At first, I thought it was Summoning." Jaune scratched the back of his head, equally confused.

"Yeah... Well, I wasn't expecting those shadow clones of yours as well. You were great." He said. Professor Copperhead, who was having a conversation with a confused Glynda, walked towards them.

"Well fought, the match goes for Jonathan Beauregard." She glanced at Jaune with curiosity. "Both combatants please leave the arena." Jaune grabbed his shoulder plates from the ground and turned towards the exit.

"Wanna grab some food?" Jaune asked Blake as they left. She shrugged, but her stomach betrayed her by doing grumbling sounds. Jaune couldn't hold back his laugh as Blake hit him on his arm.

 _Back..._

Jaune was back at home after having lunch with Blake at Vale. They didn't talked much since both were starving after their match, but he still had a pleasant time. He was confident that both of them would pass the entrance exams, so it was good to have a friend there. Jaune searched for his grandmother, but she weren't home. He searched for notes or messages but couldn't find a thing. He thought to himself that she should have gone to the market. She usually did on Thursdays. After coming up with a logical reason for her disappearance, he went to the bathroom for a relaxing bath.

Jaune couldn't help but wonder what kind of power took over him during his match against Blake. He hadn't felt that much power since... Since he learned how to control his semblance. Maybe it was evolving into a more powerful form. Like Blake said, it may be allowing him to use Geokinesis. The words were still fresh in his head. _Ore Lapidibus..._ Ore... Stone... Stone... Edge. Stone Edge. The words made sense to him. They felt natural. He reflected on it for a couple minutes, and then someone broke the silence.

"John! I'm home!" He heard his grandmother calling from the living room. "How was your test?!"

"I'll tell you everything in a moment!" He got up from the bathtub and wrapped a towel around his waist. He changed into civilian clothes and went to the living room, where his grandma was expecting him.

"So...?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"I won." He sighed. Katherine just raised an eyebrow and clapped her hands sarcastically.

"I told you not to worry." She went over to him and gave him a hug. "Now, tell me everything." Jaune sat down next to her and told her exactly what happened during the match. Katherine couldn't hold back her curiosity about Jaune's apparent new power. "Perhaps you're expanding the limits of your semblance." Jaune nodded. "Now, tell me about this Blake girl..."

"Grams!" Katherine laughed at Jaune's obvious blush.

"I'm just kidding." Her smile faltered for a moment, but only for a moment. The moment that she remembered that he was supposed to know the truth today. It wouldn't be easy, nor fair to interrupt that moment. She wouldn't deny him one last happy memory.

 _Memory..._

The memories flooded his brain in a rush. He couldn't believe. He... He had sisters, six elder sisters. He had a twin sister that died during his mother's labor. He had parents. He was a prince. The usurper now stood as the King of his nation. His father's nation. Did it matter now? The past six, seven years? He honestly didn't knew. He saw flashes and flashes of the last few years. He remembered it, more than once...

" _John! You'll get late to your ballet class!" Katherine said, getting inside of his room. She froze immediately when she saw him holding his father's sword. "J-John. Where did you found that?"_

" _It's my father's weapon, isn't it?" He didn't wait for her answer. "I just... know. I... My head hurts."_

" _Perhaps you shouldn't go today then." She took the sword from him._

" _No, it's okay. Jane told me once that ballet classes help with speed and evasion." His eyes widened from what he said. "I... Who is Ja-"_

The last thing he remembered was a light blue beam of light but then was more.

" _Katherine, are you sure his mental wards are stable?" Glynda asked the elder woman. A fourteen-year-old Jaune was eavesdropping their conversation._

" _After that accident two years ago, I make sure that they're always reinforced." Katherine reassured Glynda, making sure that she wasn't speaking too loudly. Jaune was trying his best to hear the conversation without giving in his position._

" _Does it have any dangerous consequences to his brain? It'll affect him in any way?" Glynda asked._

" _Only if done frequently. I started to do this check up once a year, or when he shows any signs of remembering the Arc tragedy. If done right and sporadically, it shouldn't have any sequels. A minor migraine during the day after, but nothing more." Glynda looked more relieved._

" _If you're sure. I just want to be sure that he'll be safe. We won't be able to let him in the dark forever."_

" _I know. But it's the only choice we have until he's ready."_

 _Ready..._

 **Jaune's POV**

Do you know how it feels to not be able to feel your heart pulsing and knowing that it is, otherwise you wouldn't be alive? To feel that pain in your heart that lasts a second, but it feels like eternity to fade away? And then there's that urge to scream for a moment, only for a moment, but you can't because you're so distracted by your own pain that your body fails you. Do you know how it feel?

You know, I never expected memories to be so... fluid. Memories are like a stream of water. Then, a big boulder blocks their path. And you simply forget. But again, memories are fluid. They slowly flow around the boulder, pushing their way into your mind, urging to show themselves. And them another rock blocks the way. And another, and another. They get to a point where they're trapped, not being able to get out. They start to accumulate like water on a barrage. But suddenly the barrage breaks and everything goes down at once.

I am Jaune Arc. I am Jonathan Beauregard. My family is a lie. The past six and a half years of my life were a lie. I am a lie? Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. What do I want to do now? Do I want to go to Beacon? I guess I do. It would be what my family would've wanted. All of my sisters were heroes, and they died as heroes. Is it worth it? To protect a world that is faded to end? I guess I'm just being a hypocrite. If we're going to die, why do get up in the morning? It's the same principle.

Why do we get up? Why do we delay the inevitable? Because we want to survive? Because we have a goal? It's not about why you do it. It's all about the people who make you do it. The people who you'll die to protect. Love makes people capable of anything, but it makes them reckless. My family died for me because they loved me. But again, I'm being a hypocrite since I'd probably do the same. Love is a anchor, keeps you on the ground. Throw it in the air and it will only drag you down.

I know myself. Jaune or John, I know that Gra... Katherine is my family, so is Glynda. I'll forgive them someday. I know that I will. Because I love them and because I know that they did what they thought it would keep me safe. I'll forgive them, but I won't forget.

 _Forget..._

 **Author's POV**

With everything that happened, Katherine forgot to deliver Jaune his letter from Beacon. He hadn't talked to her during the past week. He wasn't attending meals with her and she could see that he was missing sleep. She knocked on his dorm once, then twice. He didn't answered, so she just passed the envelope below the door. He would talk to her when he feels ready. He felt betrayed. It was only fair.

He ignored the letter at first, but his curiosity got over him. He opened it fast and wasn't surprised when he got accepted. Instead, relief filled his body. He passed.

He smiled to himself. It was good to know that all his training had been worth it after all. He would go to Beacon. He needed some time away from his "family". Being a hunter was something that he decided to be on the night that his family was killed. He would die before letting it happen again. He would leave tomorrow.

 _Leave..._

Katherine watched as Jaune walked by the living room. His belongings were packed in a big backpack. He turned around to leave but stopped in front of the door.

"I know that you did what you thought it was for the best. I can understand that." His voice was emotionless and low. "So I'll forgive you." Katherine got up from the couch and walked towards him. He still didn't looked at her. "But it'll take a long time for me to trust you again." She seemed satisfied with his choice and gave him a hug. He returned it with less enthusiasm.

"Be safe." She whispered into his ear.

"You too." He waited for her to release him and walked by the door. Beacon was a long way to go. At least he remembered to get his motion sickness pills.

* * *

 **Aaaand cut. Welcome to "Choosing Pokemon Moves, translating them to latin and using them as Spells." I prefered this Spellcaster Jaune instead of the Avatar Jaune. It gives him more variety while also making him look somewhat less OP. I hope you guys have liked it, I'll do my best to follow a schedule now that I've finished high school.**

 **Next chapter: December 10th.**


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome to Beacon

**Oh my god, we actually did it. I'm surprised. Well, time to answer some reviews.**

 **Jack Lycan (chapter 1): Thank you! It's good to hear you're still with us.**

 **Zexs (chapter 1): Crazy good or crazy bad? She was the most resembling character, in my opinion. But if you know me, you know that I'm already working on another picture. Always improving... or at least trying to.**

 **Laughingman202 (chapter 1): Thank you!**

 **96hanzo (chapter 2): I'm glad you like him, I tried my best to do what you've pointed out. As for the pairing, well, I don't know why but it came more naturally to write in the previous story. Plus, allow a guy some secrets.**

 **hirshja (chapter 2): You've got a point, but I'm used to referring to John as Jaune in my point of view (author's). I think it's a way of remembering that the character is still there, not making it completely OC. In other points of view, however, he will be referred to as John. I hope that's not a problem.**

 **I Want To Die69 (chapter 2): I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now that I finally fixed the plot, I'm not planning to stop writing this at all.**

 **Beta: Hedgehog of Time.**

* * *

Author's POV

Jaune couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two sisters besides him. Yang, the oldest sister, had long blonde hair, lilac eyes, and a very... revealing outfit. Her sister Ruby, who had apparently skipped two years earlier, had short dark hair, but red on the bottom. She wore a red cloak, a dark dress with red details and black boots. A silver rose crest decorated her waist, matching her unique silver eyes. Suddenly he turned his attention to the screen, another Faunus protest. The White Fang had intervened again... He wasn't fond of the organization in its current state, but when he found out that they helped to take over Arkend, he started to really despise the once peaceful organization. The image changed to a holographic Glynda.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." Jaune walked towards the two sisters, trying to get a better vision.

"Who's that?" Yang asked for no one, in particular, turning her eyes suddenly at Jaune and grinning playfully. "And who are you, handsome?"

"Yang! Stop embarrassing me!" Ruby was as red as her cape as she looked at Jaune. "I apologize for my sister." Jaune answered with a reassuring smile, point to the screen and pressing his finger against his mouth. Ruby got the message and nodded, turning around quickly.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The hologram continued speaking. Yang exclaimed a quick "Oh" with her question being answered that quickly.

'No you're not' a treasonous part of Jaune's mind spoke out. 'You're a liar. A dirty, filthy liar' Jaune shook his head and set his jaw. He reminded himself of what his mother... what Glynda had done for him and tried to push back his anger.

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." Her image disappeared and the students started to walk towards the windows.

"Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here!" Ruby exclaimed. She looked like a kid on a Christmas morning. "I guess home isn't too far after all!"Jaune felt a small smile tug at his lips from the adorable expression on the little girl's face. It was perhaps the cutest thing he'd ever seen, and he'd seen a kitten cuddling with a puppy.

"Beacon's our home, now." Yang told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Jaune took the opportunity to properly introduce himself to the sisters.

"Hey." He said, gaining their attention. He decided to go with his fake name, to be honest with himself, he was used to being called John. He extended a hand towards the sisters. "Jonathan Beauregard, but you can call me John."

"Yang Xiao Long." The blonde grabbed his hand. "But you can call me interested." Jaune snorted, Ruby just groaned.

"You're the worst!" She punched her sister on in her arm, making she let go of Jaune's hand. "I'm Ruby, by the way." She said, a little bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry for earlier."

"No problem." He looked behind her. "Looks like we're arriving." The sisters turned around, appreciating the view of the school.

School...

The school was as pretty from close as from the distance. Jaune got separated from the sisters and was walking by the courtyard, appreciating his surroundings. Suddenly a loud explosion caught his attention. He ran towards the noise, finding Ruby and a girl covered in ashes. As the explosion clears up, Jaune finally got a good look of the girl.

She wore a pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly colored thigh-length dress with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero was red and the sleeves turned blue as they got closer to her wrists. Her long white hair is pulled back in an off-center ponytail, at the base of which was a small tiara that resembled icicles. Her eyes were ice blue, a scar crossing her left eye. She was a bit taller than Ruby, but it could be because of her heels. He ran towards Ruby to make sure that she was okay.

"Ruby, are you alright?" He asked, earning a silent and cowed nod. He walked towards the other girl. "Are you okay miss..."

"I'm not...!" She looked at Jaune and stopped talking. She composed herself and looked him in the eyes. Her voice was a lot more calm and warm. "I was perfectly fine until this... girl stumbled into my luggage and then caused an explosion!"

"Hey! That explosion was an accident! Plus, you were shaking that dust vial around like crazy!" Ruby tried to defend herself, but Jaune held a hand out for her to stop it.

"I get it. It seems like it was an accident indeed. Ruby, apologize to Miss..." He looked at the girl, trying to get her name. The answer came from another person, a familiar face.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee's Dust Company, one of the largest producer of energy propellant in the world." She said, looking down from her book and handing over the dust vial to Jaune, who smiled at her.

"Good to see you again, Blake." He smiled, receiving a nod and a smile from the girl, who turned around. "As I was saying, apologize to Miss Schnee for stumbling on her belongings."

"I-I'm sorry." She said.

"And while I agree that her actions may have disturbed you, you of all people should've known to be careful with dust. Letting this amount on a opened place, I'm surprised that you had only one accident." He handed her the vial, she looked down trying to hide her embarrassment. The Schnee girl inhaled deeply, clearly trying to reconcile her own pride and temper with Jaune's logic.

"You're right. I'm sorry to have been hard with you, Ruby." She bowed slightly. "I'll try to be less careless next time." She turned around and headed to the main building, but then she turned around. "I don't think I've got your name."

"Jonathan Beauregard, but you can call me John." She nodded.

"I'll look forward to work with you in the future, John." She turned around again, not looking back this time. Ruby let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, John. I didn't think it was even possible to make her stop yelling at me." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for, right?" She looked at him with a big smile on her face. She nodded energetically, making Jaune laugh at her cuteness. "Let's go, Ruby, the auditorium is that way."

"Okay." They walked towards the auditorium. "I like your cloak, it goes well with your armor. It makes you look like a centurion!"

"Thanks, I guess. I like your cloak as well. Red matches you." He said, earning a smile from the girl.

"So... I've got this thing." She pulled her weapon, a big red scythe with sniper attachments.

"Is that scythe also a sniper rifle? How can you handle the recoil, it wouldn't be sensible to shoot it unless..." Jaune's eyes widened slightly. "You use the blade as an anchor point?"

"Yup. Crescent Rose here can pierce through a Deathstalker armor with the right ammunition!" She folded the scythe into it's less lethal form and put it on her back. "What about your weapon? Can I see it?"

"Sure." He grabbed the sword and the circular shield. "The sword doesn't use dust but can cut through almost anything. The shield can retract to a sheath and also has a hidden gun, that I can use if I press this button right here..." He pressed the button on the shield's metal strap, opening the secret compartment.

"So cool!" Ruby exclaims. "Does it uses dust? What's its name?"

"Yup, the gun can use dust. Its name is Aurum Mortem. It means Golden Death in an old dead language." He answered back.

"It's so beautiful." She traced her fingers around the blade. "The pommel of the sword, it's so detailed and majestic. Did you make it?"

"No." He said coldly. "It was my father's." Ruby widened her eyes and looked down. Jaune sighed, knowing that he had ruined the mood. "Sorry, I just..."

"It's okay." She said, her voice sounding more mature. "I've lost one of my parents as well. I know what is like to not want to talk about it." The blonde nodded with a sad smile. "At least I have my father, sister, and uncle. They're the most important people in my life."

"I have my mother and my grandmother." He said instinctively, regretting that immediately. "I guess you have already heard of, at least, one of them."

"Who?" She asked out of pure curiosity.

"Do you promise to keep it a secret?" She extended her little finger.

"Pinky promise!" Jaune smiled at her cuteness and locked his finger with hers.

"Glynda Goodwitch." He said shortly. Ruby squealed.

"T-the combat teacher and super cool huntress?!" He smiled again, nodding.

"Yup. And my grandmother is Katherine Beauregard." The words slipped so easily past his lips he almost believed them for a moment. Then bitter reality came crashing back, and he remembered the truth. He clenched one fist for a moment before unfurling it again. Dangerous thoughts. They needed to be pushed back.

"The war hero?!" She squealed again. "No wonder you're super cool and awesome! Did she trained you?"

"Everything I know." He confessed, looking at the big building in front of them. He opened the door and waited. "Shall we enter?" He gave an exaggerated bow towards Ruby, who giggled.

"Sure! Now please stand up, Sir Knight." Jaune grinned, getting up and following her. He heard someone screaming Ruby's name, and was surprised when the little girl dragged him with her. "Come on! Yang saved us a spot!" For such a petite girl, she had a strong grip. He followed her without complaining, apologizing for the people who he bumped into.

"Hey, Ruby! I see you brought Mr. Hot Stuff over here. I think your first day was very good then." She smirks at Ruby, who sighs.

"Uh, I wish! After you dumped me on the courtyard I ended up falling over some girl's luggage and then she started yelling at me and I exploded!" Yang snorted.

"You and that temper of yours..." Ruby frowned at her sister.

"No, I literally exploded a hole in the courtyard! I was lucky that John was there to keep things from getting worse." Jaune nodded, Yang's attention now on him.

"Though the girl overreacted a little, she was quick to apologize. I think she was just nervous about her stuff. Dust can be very volatile, something really bad could have happened." He said.

"At least someone gets my point." Weiss said uncomfortably, behind Jaune. "You were lucky we weren't on the side of a cliff."

"Oh my Oum, you really exploded." Yang said.

"It was an accident! And I apologized, I swear!" Yang sighed.

"I guess you two just started on the wrong foot. Just make things right and try to be friends, alright?" Ruby held a hand.

"Okay. Hello, Weiss, I'm Ruby. Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies." Weiss rolled her eyes and spoke using a sarcastic, not serious voice.

"Yeah, and we can paint our nails, try on clothes and talk about cute boys like..." She hesitated for a moment. "...Tall, blonde and... peacemaker over here." She pointed at Jaune, who now had a slight blush on his face.

"Wow, really?" Ruby asked with excitement. Weiss sighed but wasn't able to give the girl a proper answer since the headmaster started speaking.

"I'll... keep this brief." As the headmaster spoke, Jaune and the others found it odd that his speech seemed so... disinterested. Like Yang pointed out, it was like he wasn't even there. When he finishes his speech, everybody inside the room clapped their hands, ones with more reluctance than others. A girl with orange hair was screaming and trying to jump on the back of a boy with black, with a magenta stripe, of hair and eyes of the same color. Glynda guided some students through the school grounds. As Jaune passed Glynda by she looked like she wanted to say something, but when she saw her son's face she was silent. He passed her in icy silence, and she could feel the shards of that ice piercing her heart.

Jaune decided to stay inside the auditorium and find a good place for him to sleep before heading to the rocket lockers to store his weapons. Ruby and Yang followed him, Weiss had left with the first group.

"So... Found yourself a good place?" Yang asked Jaune.

"I guess there isn't a good place, I mean, we're still going to sleep on the floor." He remarked.

"If you'd like to sleep somewhere more comfortable, you can always lay down next to me and Ruby..." Jaune rolled his eyes as Ruby furiously blushed and slapped her sister. "Ruby! I was just joking!"The smaller girl stopped. "Geez, I didn't know you were the jealous type."

"Yang!" The brawler just laughed at her sister's attempt to make her shut up. Jaune sighed softly and walked past the girls. He wondered if this was a normal thing for these siblings. Ruby just groaned and followed him. Yang did the same with an innocent smile on her face.

"Each one of you will be assigned to a locker..." The three arrived just in time for the explanation, spreading through the room. Jaune stood next to the big guy with orange hair he saw during the entrance exams. He caught the smirk on his face and knew what he was going to do. When he tried to push him, he stepped aside and the brute tripped on his feet. "I hope that you know, Mr. Winchester, that this kind of childish behavior won't be tolerated here at Beacon." Glynda said, glaring at the boy with a stern look.

Both Jaune and Ruby noticed her hand closing in a hard grip around her riding crop. The Winchester guy got up and frowned to Jaune, but he didn't say a word. "Now, please leave your weapons here. I'll put them inside their respective lockers and send their numbers and passwords to your scroll. The password may be changed later." Jaune was one of the first to do as he was told, avoiding eye contact with Glynda as he took off his shoulder plates and arm protectors as well. He turned around and saw Ruby hugging her scythe.

"Don't worry about it, Ruby." Jaune said. "You can use your weapon tomorrow at initiation."

"I know." She sighed, handing her weapon to Glynda, but refusing to let it go. Yang rolled her eyes, taking off her bracelets and handing them to Glynda. Then she grabbed Ruby and threw the girl over her shoulder. "YANG NOOOO, DON'T LET THEM TAKE MY BABY!"

"Sorry Rubes, you can get it back tomorrow." Yang said, earning a cry from her sister. She gave a soft sigh. "What about we head to the cafeteria? I bet they have some cookies!"

"COOKIES!" Before Yang or Jaune could say a thing, Ruby disappeared in a blur of rose petals. Jaune crossed his now bare arms, glancing at Yang with a curious look.

"I guess that means Ruby is a cookie person..."

"Yup." Yang walked towards the door and Jaune followed her. "Too bad she doesn't know the way to the cafeteria." Jaune snickered.

"Oops." He looked down at the floor, which was covered in rose petals. "What's with the rose petals? The janitor crewmembers are going to be furious." Yang laughed at his remark.

"I guess we can say that her speed rose." The brawler joked with a grin. Jaune rolled his eyes but smiled.

"That was a flowerless pun." He joked. Yang's grin got bigger.

"That's it. We're going to get along pretty well."

Well...

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang jumped to the bed next to Ruby's. Jaune had gone to the bathroom to change into his sleeping clothes, leaving the two sisters alone.

"I don't know if dad would approve all the boys, though." Ruby said as Yang rolled her eyes.

"I know I do." Yang purred. "Awn, I was expecting more. Wait, actually, I was expecting less." Ruby frowned, not understanding her sister. She looked up to where her sister was looking and saw Jaune walking towards them. He was wearing black flannel pants and a white sleeveless shirt.

"I'm not your eye candy, Yang." He smirked. "What are you up to?" He asked Ruby, sitting next to her.

"I'm writing a letter to my friends at Signal." She said, waiting for the outcome. Jaune just nodded as Yang...

"That's so cute!" Ruby threw a pillow at her.

"Shut up! I wasn't lucky enough to have all my friends in here!"

"You made a lot of friends! Like John! I know I want to get friendly with him." She said in a suggestive tone, earning another pillow at her face.

"Plus, you met Weiss." Jaune said while ignoring Yang. "She may not be on the friendliest terms with you, but she's an acquaintance. You're not expected to be friends with everyone you meet."

"Did you met nobody else?" Yang asked.

"Well... There was a girl with a black bow, but I didn't get her name." Ruby answered as Jaune's face lit up.

"Oh, you mean Blake? Amber eyes, black hair?" Jaune asked her, earning a nod from Ruby. "She's my friend. Not the most talkative individual, I admit, but she's a great person. Likes books a lot too."

"That girl reading over there?" Yang asked Jaune looked to where she was referring to and saw Blake.

"Yeah. I wouldn't bother her, though. She really dislikes being interrupted while she's..." Jaune sighed when he saw Yang dragging Ruby through the room. "...reading." He finished, getting up and following the sisters.

"Hello!" Yang said with a melodic tone. Ruby seemed as uncomfortable as Blake. "I'm Yang and this is my sister Ruby. What's your name?" Yang asked, probably as a formality since she already knew her name.

"Blake." She said, dryly. There were a few embarrassing seconds of silence. She looked at Jaune and then her features softened.

"Hey, Blake." Jaune smiled at her. "Still engaged in Jekyll and Hyde?" He earned a nod and a smile from the girl.

"Yes. I was." She glanced at the sisters. Jaune muttered an 'Oh'.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked. Blake raised an eyebrow.

"It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control of his body." Blake answered.

"It sounds... nice." Yang said albeit reluctantly.

"It's a classic!" Jaune exclaims.

"I love books." Ruby continued, ignoring her sister and Jaune. "Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of being like the heroes on the books, saving people and not wanting anything in return."

"That's a lovely thought for a child." Blake said. "Unfortunately the real world isn't like that." She stated dryly.

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better." Jaune smiled at Ruby's wise words. She could sound so mature and... now she's fighting Yang in the middle of the auditorium. He looked at Blake with an apologetic smile. The raven haired girl just rolled her eyes and signed him to do something about the girls. Before he could say a word, someone else did.

"Can you please be quiet?! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Jaune sighed softly when he recognized the voice. Weiss Schnee stood in front of them once again and he had to play the role of a peacemaker again.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I was about to interrupt them as well." He said while simultaneously grabbing Ruby's foot and Yang's fist. "Girls, this isn't time or place to do that. How about we get to our spots and rest? We'll need it for our initiation tomorrow."

"You're no fun, John." Yang said while freeing her hand from his grip. He also released Ruby's foot. Weiss and Blake seemed thankful for his intervention.

"Good night John!" Ruby exclaims while leaving, Jaune answered with a smile and a nod. Weiss shot a cold glare towards the sisters as they left, which didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room, but her eyes softened a little as she looked at Jaune.

"Thank you, John." She said with a cordial voice. "Have a good night."

"Likewise." The girl turned around and left. Jaune looked at Blake. "Night, Blake."

"Night." She said, not taking her eyes away from her book. Jaune decided not to push in. She deserved some time alone after all. Now all he had to do is wait for tomorrow to come. At least he had met some nice people who would make great teammates.

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 **Next chapter: December 24th.**


	4. Chapter 3: Initiation

**Hello everyone! Yes, I know I'm late, but for once it wasn't because of me. My beta is going through some personal problems and is not being able to help me fix the little mistakes. I gave him some time, but I figured I couldn't keep you guys waiting for much longer. I did my best to turn this into a presentable chapter, so... yeah. Oh! I hope you all had an great holiday! And happy new year!**

 **Review time!**

 **(Chapter 3)**

 **poshboy: Thank you!**

 **96hanzo: Thanks! And, yes, I'll be the first to admit, it is a bit cliché. But at least for my version of Jaune, I can't see him ignoring that and just letting it happen.**

 **Jack Lycan: Thank you! Well, he'll have to... eventually. Also, that's been a question in the back of my head since I finished one of the following chapters. For now I'll just keep writing and see what happens.**

 **hirshja: Well, I'm not going to argue. Thanks, I think so too, and I'm loving how the story is going.**

 **TeQWo CoNViX: Nah, no hard feelings. Thank you for you feedback!**

 **gdvp111: I'm bitting my tongue, cause you went through some great points, but I can't reveal much. And that's sad, because I love reviews like yours. I'll answer what I can. First of all, thank you. And yes, I'm aware that those changes are one of my problems. English is not my first language, so sometimes things that look right for me (when I try to form a phrase mentally) might not be actually right. As for Jaune's past before Beacon, I'm planning to throw in some flashbacks from time to time. I still want to explore that. I actually explained how Jaune and Blake met, at Beacon, but I guess I could throw in some first impressions, first conversations, and such in a future chapter. V4's canon is going to be added to this storyline. It's bittersweet, because I liked my Kings and Queens, but well... we do what we have to do. Ironwood will definetly make some appearences other than canon, I also liked how I portrayed him before, and he quite grew to me after Volume 4. Thanks again!**

 **Cabbage cabrera: Great! Thank you!**

 **tonytaker: Yup, glad you enjoyed it.**

* * *

"Wake up lazy bun!" Jaune woke up with someone screaming. "It's morning! It's morning! It is morning!" An orange haired girl sang in a cheerful voice. The boy who was with her sighed before getting up. He looked at Jaune with an apologetic look. Jaune gave him a thumbs up, scratching his back. He got up, grabbed his bag and went to the bathroom. After a quick shower he changed into his usual combat clothes minus his armour and brushed his teeth. The girl from before was there, chatting with the same guy while brushing her teeth. Jaune wondered if she knew that she was in the boys bathroom, though she probably wouldn't care.

The cafeteria was near empty. Jaune took a tray and grabbed a few pancakes and a cup of orange juice. He sat down at an empty table. The girl and the boy walked towards his direction. "Hello, pancake buddy! Mind if we sit here?"

"Nope, be my guest." They sat down. "I'm John."

"I'm Nora and this is my best friend Ren! We're childhood friends and we're very close, but not that close! I mean, we're together! But not together-together, cause that would be weird. I mean, it's not because you're not handsome, you're handsome, but...

"Nora." Ren interrupted her.

"Yes, Ren?" She looked at him with sparkling blue eyes.

"I think he got it." The orange haired girl nodded and started eating her pancakes.

"So, what are you doing here at Beacon?" Nora asked with her mouth full of pancakes.

"I suppose the same as you guys, trying to become a hunter." Jaune said.

"Fair enough." Ren said. "We came from a village outside the kingdom, they had a combat school. We graduated top of our classes and Beacon sent us a letter to attend the initiation."

"I had to pass the entrance exams. I was home schooled." Jaune said. "I lived in Atlas until I was twelve years old, but then my father died and my guard was passed to my mother." He lied. Even though it was partially truth. He still had to play Katherine's game if he wanted them to be safe.

"Oh! Ren and I are orphans too. That's why we were so eager to leave our village. Orphanages can get very boring." Nora said. Jaune offered her a sad smile.

"Sorry to hear that. It seems like everyone here has some kind of dark background." He joked.

"I guess it is one of the requirements of the job." Ren said jokingly. They had a very pleasant conversation, but eventually had to go to the locker room.

"See you later pancake buddy!" Nora said, going to get her weapon along with Ren, who nodded to Jaune as they left. Jaune checked his scroll, locker 636. His password was his birthday. Of course it was his mother's work. Jaune located Ruby and Yang and walked towards them.

"Hey girls." He greeted them.

"Hi, John." Ruby was hugging her weapon. He smiled.

"I see that you're happy now that you've got your weapon back." Yang grinned.

"That's putting it lightly. And where is your weapon?" Yang said.

"I'm going to grab it now, see you guys later." He said, letting the two sisters alone. He searched everywhere for his locker, but he couldn't find it. Then, he saw Weiss talking to a taller, redheaded girl who he was sure he had seen before. He approached the duo. "Excuse me, wouldn't you two happen to know where the locker... Oh." He blinked twice, his locker was just there. "Nevermind, it looks like I just found it. Good morning Weiss, and to you as well, Miss..."

"Nikos. Pyrrha Nikos." The girl answered with a smile. Weiss frowned.

"Wait, you don't know who she is?" Jaune raised his head for a second, but then came back to putting his armor on.

"I'll admit that she's familiar, but I can't remember exactly why." Pyrrha's face fell.

"This is Pyrrha Nikos, graduated top of her class at Sanctum and winner of the Mistralian Regional Tournament four years in a row, a new record." Jaune raised an eyebrow, grabbing his sheathed sword.

"Impressive. That's something to be proud of. Still, I don't think that's where I recognize her from." Weiss frowned again.

"Perhaps from Pumpkin Pete's? Her face is in every box." Jaune snapped his fingers.

"That's it. Due to my training and my grandmother not wanting me to have diabetes, I don't think I've eaten it before." Pyrrha smiled.

"Nah, it's okay. Sadly the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha said. "I don't think I've got your name..."

"Oh, where are my manners. Jonathan Beauregard, a pleasure to meet you. But please, call me John." Her eyes widened slightly.

"Beauregard like... Katherine Beauregard, perhaps?" Weiss gasped, blaming herself for not being able to recognize the name herself.

"That would be my grandmother, yes..." He said with a cordial voice.

"That's wonderful! I was talking to Pyrrha earlier about forming a team, perhaps you would like to join us?" Jaune thought about it for a moment. Weiss didn't seemed to be that bad, but she only seemed genuinely interested in knowing his name. Pyrrha was nice, she didn't seemed to like attention and was supposedly a great fighter. He decided to play it safe, for now.

"I don't think we'll be able to choose our teammates, but I can't see why not." He said.

"That sounds grand." Pyrrha said. He saw Yang and Ruby walking towards them. Weiss seemed bothered by their arrival but didn't say a word.

"Already dumping us?" Yang asked.

"I don't remember making an agreement with you two." He said, much to Ruby's disappointment.

"Aww, but we met you first! Technically we're friends longer than you're friends with them!" Jaune laughed softly at Ruby's logic.

"Fair enough." He looked at them, and remembered that Pyrrha was still there. "Oh! Pyrrha, these are Ruby and Yang. Ruby, Yang, this is Pyrrha. You two know Weiss."

"Hello." Pyrrha waved her hand. The other girls smiled and did the same. "I guess you're friends with John?"

"We've met for a day, but I guess so." Yang answered. Suddenly they heard Glynda's voice through the intercom system.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." She said.

"We should go now." Jaune said. "Initiation is about to begin."

"Let's go!" Ruby went ahead with her speed. At least today she knew the right way.

 _Today_...

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." The headmaster said, taking a quick sip from his coffee.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today." Jaune wasn't surprised, but he, and pretty much everyone else, heard Ruby squealing

"What? Ohhh..." He felt bad for the girl, but he was sure she would do fine.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ruby groaned. Ozpin kept going. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"Whaaaat?!" He swore to Oum he had heard the sound of something breaking. He was surprised as well, but not as much as Ruby.

"See? I _told_ you-!" Nora said, probably to Ren.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die. You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" No hands nor questions were raised. "Good, now take your positions."

One by one, they were launched. Jaune gave Ruby a reassuring smile before it was her turn, and he was sure he saw a smile from the reaper before she was launched. He was the last one, and his eyes met Glynda's. She mouthed a quick 'Good luck', but Jaune looked away, focusing on his current situation. He was launched into the air and watched as the others spread through the forest.

"Birdy NO!" He heard Ruby screaming as she tackled a Nevermore while in mid air. Jaune got behind his shield, passing through wood and leaves. He stabbed a tree with his sword, using it as an anchor point. He landed with his stance ready. He felt like he was being watched. It didn't took long for him to face with a pair of red eyes.

A Beowolf jumped from between the bushes with it's claws ready to cause some damage. Jaune ducked underneath the creature and slashed it in half. He quickly got up. Beowolves don't hunt alone. He instinctively parried a blow from behind him with his sword, bashing the Beowold in it's head with the shield while slashing another's creature arm. He spun the shield, using it's round sharp edge to decapitate the first one and severely wound the other's chest. Both of them dissolved in black smoke. His eyes widened. They surrounded him. Theodore erupted from the ground, protecting his back.

"All right, Theo." He smiled to the golem. "Are you ready?" Receiving a excited grunt back, Jaune smiled. "After you, old friend!"

 _Friend..._

Ruby really wanted to find a friendly face. Pairing with her sister would be great. John was a great guy too, he looked like he could pack a punch. Blake was cool, she wouldn't mind pairing with her. She just hoped to find one of them before someone else did.

"After you, old friend!" She heard. That was John's voice! Does that meant he had found a partner? A loud noise interrupted her thoughts as she ran towards the battle with her scythe in hands. She sliced a Beowolf in half before looking up to see a giant stone creature smashing another two Grimm with it's bare hands.

"Wow..." She gasped before getting in the fight again. She saw a white blur pass quickly through the field, ice fractures erupting from white glyphs behind it and piercing through the Grimm's skin. The blur happened to be Weiss. She stopped and looked around, her eyes finding Ruby's first and then they laid on John, who was fighting an Alpha. Ruby assumed that Weiss was John's partner, while Weiss assumed Ruby was John's partner. The girls shared a nod as they ran towards John, ready to aid him. The boy was at first surprised by the duo appearing out of nowhere, but he could use the help. The girls distracted the lesser Grimm while he executed the final blow against the pack leader. The creature fell to the ground, headless. The pack dispersed, leaving the three alone.

"Thanks for the help girls." He said, walking towards the stone golem, patting it's back. "And you too, Theodore, you did a great job." The golem have a satisfied grunt, it's stone mouth somewhat resembling a smile. "You may rest now." The golem turned to dust.

"So cool..." Ruby muttered. Could John summon that thing? And he named it Theodore? It was awesome! He walked back to the girls.

"I guess this means that you two are partners." He said. Ruby's eyes frowned as she looked at Weiss.

"I thought you were her partner?" Ruby said. Weiss was equally confused.

"I thought the you were his partner!" Weiss exclaims in frustration. "I shouldn't had assumed it that soon!" She sighed. Weiss wasn't exactly satisfied with her new partner, but at least the girl knew how to fight and was supposedly a prodigy. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Really?" Ruby asked. Weiss nodded, earning a smile from the small reaper. "Great! We're partners now!"

"See, I told you didn't have to worry." The knight said. "Now, how about we get moving to the temple?"

"But you still haven't found a partner." Ruby frowned.

"Don't worry, it's an even number of students. I probably will find someone there." He reassured her.

"Okay then." Ruby said. "Uh... do you know where it is?"

"We just have to go north." He said.

"Okay." Ruby started walking towards a random direction, but Jaune grabbed her by her hood.

"North is that way." He pointed towards the right way. Ruby blushed.

"Oh, I knew it! Let's go!" She walked towards the right direction this time. Weiss released a sigh, Jaune smiled reassuringly at her.

"She's a bit awkward, but she's a nice girl. I bet she's just nervous about being here, after all, she did skip two years." Weiss nodded at his words while they followed Ruby. The reaper looked back at the duo.

"John, if you don't mind me asking, what was that cool thing back there?" She asked. Weiss wouldn't deny she was curious about it herself.

"That was Theodore, he's part of my semblance." As no one interrupted him, he kept talking. "My semblance is a kind of Summoning, more specifically, Golem Animation. I can create backup from basically anything and then order them to do whatever I want. Teddy just happens to be my oldest creation, so I end up using him more often."

"Why Theodore?" Weiss asked.

"Because it fit him. He's my cute big stone giant." Weiss looked at him incredulously. Ruby just seemed excited.

"He's awesome!" Jaune laughed.

"Yes, he is." He looked at Weiss. "My grandmother told me that the Schnee's have the ability to summon too. Hereditary semblance, if I recall."

"Yes, our semblance is glyphs. One of them happens to be a Summoning Glyph. It's a very advanced technique." Jaune nodded, deciding not to push through. A gun shot was heard at the distance. The three students got on their fighting stances. "Gunfire. Northeast from here."

"Let's keep going north. If the shots become more frequent, we'll be near." Ruby frowned.

"Why we don't go already?" She asked.

"We are training to fight monsters. If someone's here, it means that he or she is ready for this level of combat." Ruby nodded as Weiss just looked like he took the words from her mouth.

"So... Tell me a bit about yourself. Having such a strong individual to train you should have been grand." Jaune smiled to himself.

"It was good. She taught me skills that can be used in or out of the battlefield." He said.

"Such as?" Weiss asked.

"I did three years of ballet classes." Ruby giggled. "Yeah, yeah, you can laugh. But it did wonders for my speed and flexibility."

"I did some classes as well." Weiss said, ignoring Ruby's full laughter. "What else?"

"Piano classes, cooking lessons... Etiquette lessons and other trivial things like how to iron my clothes, use a washing machine... So I can survive on my own while she wasn't at home." Weiss nodded.

"I did singing lessons. I used to perform at Atlas." She said politely.

"I'm a decent singer. Never had classes, though." He looked at Ruby. "What about you, Ruby? What do you do for fun?"

"I... Well, I like shooting. And... I like reading. Oh! I love designing weapons." She concentrated for a moment. "That's it, I guess. Not as cool as singing or dancing and... whatever."

"That's cool." Jaune said, trying to lift the girl's mood. "I don't think I would be able to design a weapon as cool as Crescent Rose." That brought a smile and a blush to her face.

"Ow, stop it. You're going to embarrass her..." Jaune gave a short laugh. Weiss stared at them. He was a good guy to her eyes. He didn't liked making people uncomfortable. He was a skilled fighter, on par with Pyrrha, maybe. It was too bad she didn't got partnered with him. Her partner seemed to be okay, but she was childish. He was more mature, just as her. And they had lots in common. She hoped to get on his team.

The trio got out from the forest line. The temple and the relics were just in front of them. Three human forms could be seen at distance. Ruby immediately recognized her sister's long blonde hair.

"Oh! Yang's there! Let's go!" She disappeared in a blur of rose petals. Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Let's go. I guess you don't want to keep your partner waiting." He smirked at her, who only scoffed back at him. Her features softened when she saw his smile. It was a small one, and it was brief, but it was enough.

They ran towards the temple. Ruby was talking to her sister, who was standing next to Pyrrha. Blake was there too, next to the relics.

"Hey there John! Weiss." The heiress nodded politely at Yang. "Ruby told me you hadn't found a partner yet."

"Seeing as there are three people here, I assume there's someone else in this situation." He said.

"That would be Blake. Pyrrha found me right before we saw her." Yang said. Jaune nodded, walking towards Blake. She heard him approaching and a small smile appeared on her lips.

"How does it feel to be in second place for once?" She asked, making Jaune laugh.

"Still a little bitter, partner?" She turned around at this, sealing their partnership making eye contact. "Have you picked the relic already?"

"Go ahead." She gestured towards the relics. Chess pieces. A thought crossed his head. He turned back at Yang and the other girls.

"Which one did you and Pyrrha picked, Yang?" He asked.

"The cute little pony!" She answered. "Why?"

"Nothing. Just a guess about how the teams are going to be picked." Weiss's eyes widened slightly. Now that she took a glance at the relics, she had her own suspicion as well.

"Can I choose?" She asked Ruby, who nodded in agreement. Weiss followed Jaune into the temple, making sure to get the same relic as he did: The white rook. Jaune noticed that and blinked at the heiress, who nodded discreetly.

"YEEEE-HAAAAW!" They heard someone screaming. Jaune sighed softly, yup, it was Nora. And she is currently riding an Ursa. She rolls out of the creature's back, getting up quickly. "Awwww... It's broken."

"Nora! Please... Don't ever do that again." Ren was really tired from what they could see. He looked up and noticed that Nora had disappeared again. The girl had run towards the forest temple like a rocket and was now staring at a golden knight relic. She grabbed it, looking at Jaune Jaune and Weiss.

"Hello again, pancake buddy! Do you like my golden pony? It's so cute!"

"NORA!" They heard Ren screaming. Nora stops dabbling and looked back at him.

"Coming, Ren!" She walks outside the temple.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake asked the question that was on everyone's minds. Jaune looked at his partner, shrugging.

"I..." Yang started to say something but was interrupted by the sound of a Deathstalker running over the trees, it's eyes set on the group of huntsman in training.

"A Deathstalker?!" Weiss exclaims, getting outside the temple with Jaune right behind her. Ren finally caught up with the group. He glared at Nora.

"I told you that launching a grenade inside that cave was a bad idea." Nora laughed awkwardly, receiving glares from everyone else. A loud screech interrupted their thoughts, as a gigantic Nevermore flew above their heads.

"That's a big bird..." Ruby whispered.

"Great! The gang's all here, now we can die together!" Yang said sarcastically.

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby rushed towards the Deathstalker. Yang tried to stop her sister, but Ruby's speed made it impossible. Ruby clashed against the Grimm's hard shell, her blade not being able to cut through it. The scorpion swiped Ruby away with one of it's massive claws. "D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!" Ruby begins to shoot the creature, running away from it as the creature started to go after her. Yang, Weiss and Jaune ran towards her.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted. Ruby started to run faster, but the Nevermore flapped its wings, releasing a wave of sharpened feathers above their heads. Jaune stood in front of Yang and Weiss, his eyes turning entirely white.

 _White..._

 **Jaune's POV**

Everything looks white. It is... different. I can feel knowledge flowing through my brain and power filling my body. It feels like this is happening in a second, but to me it looks like the world is in slow motion. The words come out from my mouth without resistance, and the world suddenly runs at its normal speed again.

" _Defensiva Lapidem."_ The ground tremble as a giant wall erupts from the ground. _Defensiva Lapidem..._ Protective Stone. The wall blocked the feathers from trespassing our bodies. I disabled the barrier, stumbling on my feet. Controlling that amount of stone was something new for me. Yang caught me, giving me support. I saw that Ruby's cloak was stuck with a feather. She tried to pull it without results. "Ruby, get out of there!"

"I'm trying!" She pulled harder. The Deathstalker raised its stinger. I released my arm from Yang's shoulder and tried to focus again. I can do this again, I have to do it again!

"Ruby!" I heard Yang screaming, but was too busy trying to get into that state again. I couldn't let Ruby get that hit!

"You're so childish!" Weiss suddenly shouts. I open my eyes, amazed to see the Deathstalker stinger stuck on a giant wall of ice.

"Weiss?" Ruby looked up.

"And hyperactive, and reckless, and don't even get me started on your social skils. And I know that we just met, but you know I can be a bit... difficult... but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. So if you quit trying to show off, and actually think before acting recklessly, I'll try to be nicer." Her eyes met mine for a moment. I admit that she took a while to release her opinion on Ruby, but she did it in a good way. She's trying, and that's enough.

"I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this." Ruby finally managed to get her cloak unstuck.

"You're fine." Weiss walks away. Ruby breathes a sigh of relief. Yang rushes up to Ruby and gives her a hug. I look back at Weiss as we go back to the others.

"You did a good thing back there." She shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"It was the truth." She cleaned her throat. "Besides being childish and impulsive, she's not half bad." A shadow covered our path. I looked up to see the Nevermore circling back. Ruby and Yang were still back there.

"Girls! I don't want to ruin the moment but that thing's circling back! We have to go!"

"Right, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. We have to get to the ruins and complete our mission." Weiss said.

"Okay!" Ruby exclaimed back. We got to the others. Blake looked at me worryingly.

"Are you sure you can run, John? You almost fell back there." She asked.

"I'm fine now Blake. It's just..." I sighed. "I'm not used to doing that."

"What, your semblance?" Yang asked.

"Kinda. That's an area of my semblance that I haven't fully explored yet." Weiss surprisingly nodded while the others shared confused looks. Ren looked back, I heard the sound of ice cracking.

"Time we left!" He said.

"Right. Let's go!" Ruby leads the way. I see a proud smile on Yang's face before following the others, Blake is running right at my side. I guess I couldn't have asked for a better partner after all... Weiss is on my other side and Ruby is right in front of me. Yeah, I think I'll end with a good team.

...

 **Author's POV**

"Jonathan is Geokinetic? I would never have guessed." Glynda left out a rare smile. Ozpin noticed his coworker rare show of emotion.

"You must be proud of him." He said, focusing on the screen in front of him. He paused at the precise moment that Jaune's eyes turned white. "Glynda?"

"Yes, headmaster?"

"Can you please contact Katherine? Since she trained him, I guess she'll be able to answer my question properly." His eyes were still locked on the screen. She sighed.

"May I know what is this question?" She approached Ozpin, who hasn't raised his eyes from the screen. She patted his back. "Ozpin?"

"Sorry." He changed the footage. Brown eyes met green. "It's just a guess."

"I am his mother. I deserve to know, specially if this is another one of your fairy tales." She said coldly.

"You're not his mother." She flinched, resisting the urge to slap Ozpin in the face. "But I suppose you're right."

"So." She practically growled.

"There's supposedly only four living known individuals with eyes like this today. Five, if you're counting that... accident." Glynda's eyes widened. "If I'm right, he might be the fifth that we were looking for."

"Do you mean..."

"I think we've found our Apprentice."

 _Found_...

The group of eight finally found the ruins. The Nevermore was on their tail and the Deathstalker certainly had freed itself, it should be running towards their direction. The Nevermore passed them, circling back and preparing a attack.

"Well, that's great!" Yang said while taking cover. The Deathstalker bursted out of the forest, startling the group.

"Go!" He pointed his sword towards the Nevermore, whispering. " _Ore Lapidibus."_ Once more, pointy stones erupted from the ground, flying at supersonic speeds towards the Nevermore. The creature was distracted by the rocks, giving them enough time to run. As soon as the last rock hit it's hardened feathers, the Grimm sent a wave of bladed feathers.

"Nora, help to distract it!" Ren shouted, Nora jumped out from her hiding spot and avoided the feathers launched by the Nevermore, taking her grenade launcher. She started to shoot grenades at the bird, unaware of the Deathstalker approaching behind her. Luckily, Blake and Ren appeared, hitting the shell of the beast, while Weiss casted a glyph under Nora, taking her out of there.

"Go, go!" Pyrrha and Jaune stopped, shooting the Deathstalker to slow it down. Jaune noticed that the bullets wouldn't do much damage and summoned Theodore. Pyrrha looked at him with widened eyes, but kept shooting. Ren joined them, shooting from his pistols.

"Borrow us some time!" Jaune yelled at the stone golem. Theodore's hands transformed into long stone blades, he let out a excited roar before running towards the Deathstalker. Jaune looked back at Pyrrha and Ren, making a sign for them to keep running. They did as they were told, and soon the eight warriors were running over an ancient stone bridge. Suddenly the Nevermore clashed on the bridge, breaking it in half. Pyrrha, Ren and Yang got trapped on the other side, the Deathstalker appearing right behind them.

"Ren!" Nora said, with her grenade launcher at hand, the weapon turned into a war hammer, she placed fer feet on the hammer's head and fired it, launching her to slam her weapon in the center of the Deathstalker's skull. Jaune looks at Blake, who was standing next to him.

"We have to move!" He said, running towards Weiss and Ruby, who were shooting at the Nevermore. The duo fired a few shots at the bird as well while running. Again, the bullets didn't caused as much damage as they would like to. "Any ideas?"

"That thing is tougher than it looks, our bullets won't do a thing against it." Blake said.

"Our best shot is using our blades. I guess mine or Ruby's are more capable of passing through it's feathers." Jaune said. "We have two options. We somehow get up into the air, land on that thing and then cut it's wings or we find a way to get it to stay in the ground."

"I'm up for the second option. It'll be safer to land our attacks from the ground." Ruby said, surprising Weiss and Blake. "The mountain is our best option, we just need to somehow lead it towards that dead end."

"Weiss, how much ice dust you have left?" Jaune asked, the heiress opened her rapier's dust chamber.

"Enough for one more attack like the one I did with the Deathstalker." Jaune shared a look with Ruby.

"Slingshot?" He asked her. The red reaper nodded.

"Slingshot." Jaune smiled, Blake and Weiss shared a confused look.

"Explain them what to do. I'll lead the Nevermore to that dead end." Ruby nodded and did as she was told while Jaune started to climb on the building. The Nevermore noticed it, and clashed against the ruins. Jaune jumped from rock to rock, landing into the Nevermore's back. He held firmly on it's feathers with a hand while grabbing his ice dust ammunition with the other. The Grimm was frenetic, doing all kinds of aerial maneuvers to take the uninvited guest from it's back and ended up causing Jaune to drop his ammunition. Bitting back a curse, Jane climbed into the Nevermore's head and penetrated it's eyes with his sword. The creature's horrid screech pierced through everyone's ears. Blinded, the Nevermore clashed against the mountain. By the corner of his eye he saw Weiss approaching quickly. He jumped back, spinning gracefully before landing on the ground. He saw Ruby and Blake in position, and ran towards them at full speed. The Nevermore's nervous screech told him that the plan was working. Blake fired her gun-whip right on time for Jaune to grab it's edge and get to his place behind the pillar. Weiss got there two seconds later, with the aid of her glyphs and got ready as Ruby landed on the whip, getting impulse. Weiss stopped the shot with her glyph, getting ready for the perfect shot.

"You think you can make the shot?" Weiss gave a sheepish smile.

"Humphf... Can I?" Ruby looked at her worryingly.

"You can...?"

"Of course I can!" After taking aim, Weiss released the glyph, which turned red due to Ruby's speed semblance. Ruby gathered speed firing shots from Crescent Rose and placed it's blade against the Nevermore's neck. Weiss casted glyphs on the mountain, allowing Ruby to run upwards while gaining speed. The red reaper kept firing, gaining enough momentum to decapitate the bird, landing on top of the mountain. The monster's body started to disperse, it's remains going with the wind along with red rose petals, painting the blue sky with spots of red and black.

 _Sky..._

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." The screen of the auditorium showed their faces as the boys lined up. Ozpin continues. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!"

The audience gives a wave of ovation while four students walk up to the stage to take their places in front of the headmaster. Their faces fill the screen.

"Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team LPYN (Lupine)." Amid the clapping, Nora laughs and gives Ren a hug. "Led by... Lie Ren!"

"Renny is our leader!?" Nora exclaimed excitedly, Ren couldn't help but to gasp as her hug intensified. "Yaaaaay!" Ren received nods of approval from his teammates, and returned them cordially. Jaune smiled at Ren as his team passed him, he muttered a quick 'Congratulations' as Team LPYN left the stage. He saw his mother behind Ozpin, giving him a reassuring smile as he walked through the stage.

"And finally: Jonathan Beauregard. Weiss Schnee. Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team BWBR (Blueberry). Led by... Jonathan Beauregard!" Weiss looks to him with a polite smile, extending her hand to shake his. He was about to shake her hand when Ruby jumped on his back, hugging him from behind. Blake rolled her eyes at the scene, but placed a hand on her partner and leader's right shoulder.

"Yay! John's our leader!" Ruby said, tightening the grip. Jaune started to laugh as he rose his left hand to let the little reaper's head. Weiss looked at the scene with amusement and let out a small smile. She patted Jaune on the back as they left the stage, Ruby was still in his back. Ozpin looked back to Glynda.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year." The headmaster left the stage as Glynda walked towards the microphone.

"Team Leaders, please stay on this room so I can give you your dorm numbers." Ruby leaped out from Jaune's back.

"I'll be right back." He smiled at his teammates as he went to the stage along with Ren and Cardin.

"Sixth floor, room A. The key pass will be sent to you and your team's scrolls. Your belongings were placed there." Cardin nodded as Glynda typed in the code into his scroll. "You're dismissed." Cardin left the stage, Ren stepped ahead.

"Fourth floor, room A. As you may have gathered from my conversation with Mr. Winchester, the key pass will be sent to you and your team's scrolls and your belongings were sent there." Ren nodded and waited to receive the code. "You're dismissed." Ren left, leaving Jayne and Glynda alone in the room.

"Your room is at the same floor as Mr. Ren, room B." Jaune nodded as Glynda gave his code. "You... did well today, John. You've earned your position as your Team's leader."

"Thank you." He said dryly. "I should go back now. I don't want to keep my teammates waiting." Glynda frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong, John...?"

"Stop acting like you don't know a thing!" He snapped. Glynda's face fell. "You knew the truth and you kept it away from me! How could you do that?!"

"It was the safest decision and you know it. You have the right to be angry, but you can't blame me for trying to keep you safe!" She said, losing her temper for a second. "You were broken, you were destroyed! You were too young to deal with that loss and you would end up exposing yourself! We did what we had to do and it worked, now stop acting like a child and get over it. I'm still your legal guardian, your... mother and I know that I taught you to have at least a little bit of respect!" Jaune bit back a comeback and frowned. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness, but I know I can get your comprehension."

She left the room, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts. He shook his head, trying to silence his thoughts as he left the auditorium.

* * *

 **Next chapter: January 14th (After all, I have to compensate the long wait).**


	5. Chapter 4: The badge and the burden

**Here we are again! Once more, I had to review this chapter by myself, so I apologize if I miss some stuff.**

 **Reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **TeQWo Convix: Thanks! I paid extra attention to this one, just in case. Thanks again!**

 **Jack Lycan: Well, we'll see. I'm a tad of a Drama Queen though, so I can't keep myself from adding more conflict. Thank you!**

 **96hanzo: Glad you enjoyed it! I thought a lot about who would be Jaune's partner. In the end, I decided to change things up a bit. Don't get me started on that team name. It was so hard finding a fitting colour. I was so close to giving up. Team LPYN was very hard to name as well. I hope so too, but from now on things should be fine. Thank you!**

 **tonytaker: I'm glad you think so, thanks!**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 **gdvp111: Still, keep reminding me of these. I'm far from being perfect, but every little piece of advice helps. Indeed, storywise, it was necessary for the formation of teams. It was either her or Blake who would notice it, but for the sake of the plot, I chose Weiss to be the one who would guess it out after Jaune.**

 **Oh, I thought naming Pyrrha would be too predictable, too easy. Ren showed a lot of unused potential until V4, he is also one of my favorite characters in terms of design and awesomeness so I thought to myself "Why not?". Jaune will definetly be a peacemaker, as for the remaining of your paragraph... well, you'll draw your own conclusions after this chapter.**

 **Yes, I love playing with the morality of things. The thin line between right and wrong, so easy to be disrupted. Was it right to take all his memories away? His safety in exchange of his individuality, free thinking, and past? I guess you can see it as the ends justifying the means, or not. I like stimulating my readers to unconciously pick a side, to question their own beliefs and morality, it makes the story meaningful. It makes you stop and think, reflect. That's one of my goals as a possibly future teacher, make people reflect.**

 **This outcome is inevitable, even I can't deny that It'll soon occur. Storywise, it will be very important in terms of character development, and the actual plot. However, I won't reveal when it will happen. Thank you for your thoughts!**

* * *

"Weiss? Weiss..." Jaune shook the girl gently, waking her up. "Good morning." She groaned slightly, yawning as she sat on her bed.

"What time is it?" She asked. "Good morning." She added for good measure.

"Seven o'clock. We have classes in two hours, but we have to get ready for the day." The girl stopped to look at him, he was already dressed in his uniform. Ruby was still sleeping and Blake's bed was empty, but the sound of a shower gave a hint of where the black haired girl was. "I figured you guys would want to unpack and... well, decorate the room. Blake should be out in a moment, then you can go in and I'll wake Ruby."

"Thank you." She said politely. Weiss got up and walked towards her luggage. She smiled to herself. It was good to know that her team had a responsible leader. She grabbed her uniform and bathing items. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soothing voice, and she looked around to see John waking up Ruby. The sight remembered her of Winter waking her up when she was younger, or Klein. She missed them. Blake got out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

"John... Let me sleep." Ruby groaned.

"Are you sure? The sooner we get ready, the sooner we can go to the cafeteria. I heard that they do some nice chocolate cookies." That caught her attention. Ruby jumped out of her bed and disappeared in a blur of rose petals, getting her stuff and heading to the bathroom, closing the door at Weiss's face before she could even think of getting inside.

"That little..." She groaned. Jaune laughed softly and Blake rolled her eyes but had a small smile on her face. "That's not funny!"

"Yes it is." Jaune said, earning a 'humph' from the heiress. "While she's inside we may as well start organizing our stuff." He said while getting his bag. Blake opened hers on her bed, revealing it's content. "Did you brought clothes with you or...?" He asked, referring to the amount of books she brought.

"I have three extra boxes. Get over it." She said. Jaune lifted his hands as if he was surrendering. Weiss sighed, deciding to organize her stuff herself while waiting for Ruby. She glimpsed at John's bag. Besides his clothes and hygiene items, he had a couple books and... a stuffed animal? Weiss wasn't the only one to notice it. Blake was smirking to her partner, the stuffed animal, which appeared to be a lion, now in her hands. "And who's this?"

"Hey! Put Mr. Twinkles down!" Weiss suppressed her laugh into a giggle. First a stone golem called Theodore and now a lion stuffed animal called Mr. Twinkles? Her leader might be talented and all, but had a peculiar taste for names. Blake was doing her best to not laugh at the name herself, but ended up giving in. Ruby got out from the bathroom and joined her a few moments later. At least now Weiss could take her bath.

 _Now..._

"Now that we're done, we may go to the cafeteria." Jaune said. The room looked organized, but the beds were...

"Are you sure that bunk beds were a good idea?" Weiss asked, still uncertain. It was Ruby's idea after all.

"We putted it to a vote. Plus, it worked perfectly!" Ruby exclaimed. "And thanks to John's semblance, they actually look stable!" She was right. The words got out instinctively, he didn't even remembered them. Their meaning, however, was "Stone Pillar". Sturdy stone columns raised from the ground and boom! Bunk beds. It even had stairs. "Wait! Before we go, I want to call Yang!" The rest of team BWBR waited for her in the hall. A few moments later Ruby got back with Yang.

"Is your team okay with you going with us alone?" Weiss asked.

"Relax, Ice Queen, I told them where I'm going. They'll meet up with us later." Weiss frowned at the nickname but remained quiet.

"Let's go then, I'm starving." Said Jaune. The group of five went to the cafeteria, and after getting their food sat on the same table. Team BWBR sat on a side while Yang sat on the other.

"So... How are you guys doing?" Yang asked.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked back.

"As a team. Are you satisfied with the outcome?" She asked again.

"Oh! It's been great so far! I mean, I'm sad that you're not on our team, but John is a great leader, Blake is nice and Weiss is a cool partner!" Ruby answered, not being able to hide her excitement. Yang snorted.

"Pun intended?" Ruby groaned.

"I agree with Ruby, it's been... enjoyable." Jaune said. "Though I can't say that I'm a great leader. It's been only a day."

"Still, you're already standing up for it. You did a great job yesterday and today you managed to plan our day so we wouldn't be late. You're off to a good start." Blake said from behind her book. "Why are you asking anyway? Is your team having problems?"

"Nah! We're fine. Ren and Nora are best friends already, so Pyrrha and I just had to tag along. I was just worried for my baby sister. She can be really awkward sometimes." Jaune smiled at Yang. Ruby just crossed her arms and pouted, grumbling about not being a baby.

"So we've noticed." Weiss sighed, receiving a glare from Ruby. "But she's been... tolerable. I expected worse." Yang grinned.

"I don't blame you, after that first impression she gave you." The brawler said.

"You should have seen the first impression she did on the courtyard." Jaune joked. Yang burst into laughter as Blake and Weiss gave small smiles. Then, Ruby exploded... Figuratively, for once.

"First of all, that explosion was an accident! Secondly, can you please stop talking about me like I'm not even here!?"

"Easy, little sis. It's just too easy to mess around with you." Yang said, wiping a tear from laughing. "So... Ready for classes?"

"I don't even know what classes we have today." Ruby said. Weiss didn't know the answer herself, she sighed internally for not checking their schedule.

"We have History with Doctor Oobleck in forty minutes. Then we have an hour before Professor Peach's class." Jaune said. "After that, we have lunch and Grimm Studies with Professor Port.

"I can't wait!" Ruby exclaimed. "It'll be so cool!"

"Mind to fill us in?" Pyrrha asked, arriving with Ren and Nora. They sat next to Yang.

"Sure, Pyr. We're talking about classes. Grimm Studies, to be more specific." Yang said, stealing a piece of strawberry from her partner's fruit salad.

"Oh. It sounds like it'll be fun." Pyrrha said politely.

"Yeah, but not as much fun as Combat Class! I can wait to break some legs!" Nora said excitedly, causing some of them to lean backward.

"Nora, no leg breaking." Ren said, causing the girl to pout. Then she saw her pancake tray and lit up once more. The pancakes disappeared in a blur. She looked like a pancake eating monster.

 _Monster..._

"Monsters! Demons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm are known by many names, but I prefer to call them as prey! Ha ha!" That's been Professor Port's third attempt of a joke so far. It clearly wasn't working. "Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..." He gives Yang a wink, which she groans uncomfortably at. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

"This is not what I was expecting." Jaune groaned loudly enough for only Ruby to hear. The girl sighed in agreement.

"I know!" She whispered loudly enough for only Jaune to hear.

"That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me!" Jaune and a few others rolled their eyes. "When I was a boy..." Jaune looked over to Ruby, who were now drawing something. He wasn't the only one to notice it. Weiss also stared at Ruby, but unlike the boy, her glare was one of anger rather than curiosity. "... Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. 'Peter', he told me..." Ruby snickers at her creation and shows it to her teammates. Blake briefly glanced over her book and rolls her eyes, showing a small smile behind her book. Jaune does pretty much the same before looking back to the lecture. Yang peeks from the seat behind Ruby and starts laughing lowly. Nora glanced over her teammate and ends up seeing the doodle and laughing as well. Jaune looked at Weiss, who was on his left. She was angry, Jaune could see it.

"Calm down." He whispered softly.

"But she's being so..." She whispered a little higher than him.

"Ah-heh-hem!" Both Weiss and Jaune freeze in place, looking down in embarrassment. Professor Port looked satisfied and continued. "In the end, the Beowulf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" He bowed as Weiss looked as she was going to kill Ruby. "The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable! A true Huntsman must be dependable! A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise! So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

"I do, sir!" Weiss raised her hand, giving an angry glare at Ruby.

"Very well! Step down and face your opponent!" Professor Port gestures at a cage. Weiss got up, but Jaune held her arm.

"What?" She asked, still irritated.

"Judging by the size of the cage, I'd say you're facing either a Beowulf or a Boarbatusk. I know that you know what to do, but be careful. Don't let your anger blind you." Weiss flinched for a second, taking a deep breath before nodding. "Good fight."

"Thanks." The students waited for Weiss to change into her combat attire. She had her rapier with her now. Team BWBR was cheering for her.

"Fight well!" Blake said, waving a small flag spelling "BWBR". Jaune was clapping excitedly.

"Yeah, represent team BWBR!" Weiss lowered her sword and looking over at her partner.

"Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" She scoffed.

"Oh, um... Sorry..." Ruby looked down. Jaune could understand Weiss's point, but wasn't she being too harsh?

"Allllright!" Professor Port stood up next to the cage, pulling out his axe. "Let the match... begin!"

He swings his weapon down, breaking the lock and revealing the Boarbatusk inside, which immediately charges at Weiss. She uses her rapier to deflect its attacks and rolls to the side, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stands away from her as if waswaiting for her next move.

"Ha-ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Professor Port raised his voice.

"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby tried to encourage her partner. Weiss seemed to ignore it. She's now speeding towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until her rapier got trapped by the beast's tusks. Weiss was hanging on to the hilt, and ended up being tossed around as she struggled to get her rapier back. 'S _he has no point in trying to get it out, she's losing her balance and letting herself opened for an attack. If there were more than one Grimm, she'd be in deep trouble.'_ Jaune thought.

"Bold, new approach. I like it!"

"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Weiss turned to glare at Ruby, only for the Boarbatusk to turn it's head and rips the sword from her grip. Her rapier lands far away from her. She was knocked back by the creature's tusks.

"Oh-ho! Now, what will you do without your weapon?" Weiss looked up just in time to see the Boarbatusk charging, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid getting trampled and making the beast crash into a desk. Weiss rushes towards her sword and slides to get it back, barely making it.

"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath..." Weiss stares at Ruby.

"Stop telling me what to do!" Ruby looks hurt at Weiss' rebuttal. Meanwhile, the Boarbatusk leaps into the air and rolls into a ball, spinning rapidly in the air and landing on the ground, consistently gaining speed until it launches itself at Weiss. It comes closer and closer, but Weiss activates one of her ice blue glyphs and blocks the roll, leaping up into the now-black snowflake symbol and turning it into a blue one again so she can drive the blade into the Boarbatusk's stomach. It squeals and falls silent while Weiss gasps in relief.

"Bravo! Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Weiss stands up at attention from her exhausted position and Ruby looks down. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!" Weiss glares and turns away, walking hurriedly to the exit past her teammates. Jaune sighed.

"What did I do?" Ruby asked innocently. "I just wanted to help!"

"I'll go talk to her." Jaune said reassuringly but was interrupted by Ruby, who pressed her finger against his chest.

"No. She's my partner. I need to talk to her first." Ruby said confidently, earning a smile from Jaune. Ruby ran pass the door. Jaune looked back at Blake, who shrugged. Now they could only hope for the best.

 _Hope..._

Ruby was hoping that Weiss was willing to listen to her. She found her partner down in the hallway.

"Weiss, wait! Why are you acting so weird?!" Weiss frowned.

"Why are you acting like a child?! I thought that after the initiation you would act more maturely, but apparently, I was wrong! Why can't you be like Blake or John?! At least they know how to portray in public!" Ruby felt every word, it stung.

"I was just... You didn't even..." Before Ruby could even think of something, Weiss turned around and left her alone. Ruby closed her eyes but suddenly felt a hand squeezing her shoulder.

"She's not right, you know?" She heard John's voice. "I mean, I'll concede that you act a bit childish, but that's just how you are."

"So you agree with her?"

"No! She is in the wrong for acting like this... If anything, she's acting like a child for talking to you like this. It's only been a day, she can't expect you to change immediately." He said. "Not expect you to change at all."

"So what should I do?" The girl in red asked.

"Try to understand her point of view, and think of ways to improve yourself. Don't change, improve." Ruby nodded with a serious look in her eyes. "Now I'll talk to her. Maybe I can put some sense into her mind."

"Thanks, John. You're the best leader ever." He smiled.

"Thanks. I'll see you and Blake later in our dorm." Ruby nodded once again, now smiling. She left from where she came from, and Jaune went outside.

He found the white-haired girl staring at the distance, and approached her quietly. She stiffened slightly when she felt his hand on her shoulder and brushed it off quickly.

"What do you want?" She asked harshly, glaring at her leader.

"I want to know what is wrong. You weren't acting like this yesterday, I thought you had accepted Ruby as your partner." He said, not looking at her, but at the sky that was colored in shades of red, orange and blue, the sun was almost down.

"She's so childish! I... things weren't supposed to be like this. All I wanted was to get to Beacon, find a good partner and be the leader of my team. That is what I was expected to be. When I met you, I thought that you would be a good partner. The Beauregard name still helds a lot of respect, and anybody with eyes would notice that you're obviously skilled." She sighed. "But then, I made a mistake and presumed things. To be honest, if you weren't there I would have lost it. At least when it was time to grab the relics, I was able to ensure that we were on the same team."

"So... Are you saying?"

"This 'change of attitude', as you like to call it, isn't something new. It was always there, I just didn't want to show it." She avoided his eyes. "As for being a leader, I wasn't disappointed with Ozpin's choice. You've earned your position."

"Thanks." He said with a cordial smile. "Do you want to know what I think?" She didn't argue, so he continued. "I think that you have to chill out, no pun intended, and give Ruby a chance. It's only been a day, you can't expect her to act more maturely just because you want to. She's excited and scared, she got ahead two years. She's also not the greatest in dealing with people." Weiss snorted in a very unladylike way.

"That's an understatement."

"And that's why you should go easy on her. She just wants to make a friend out of you." She sighed. "Just give her a shot... For the team's sake." He added, hoping that it would convince her.

"I guess that, if it'll help the team, I can try to be less... difficult." She said after a couple seconds of silence. Jaune smiled.

"Thanks. I'm sure Ruby will appreciate it." He turned around, barely being able to hear Weiss's muffled remark. _"She'd better."_ He smiled once more. "And Weiss..." He looked around to face her. "No more hiding what you really think, be yourself, you aren't here to impress everyone." It was her turn to smile, but only for a moment. When she turned around to see him, he had already left.

 _Already..._

Blake already tried to convince Ruby to sit down and wait, but the younger girl had been walking around their dorm since they arrived there. After her third failed attempt to calm Ruby down, she turned her attention to her book. Then, Jaune entered the room.

"So...?" Ruby asked.

"I think it'll be better if you wait for your partner to tell you how it went." Ruby looked down. "But don't worry, I have a nice feeling about it." Ruby looked up, more hopefully. "Now, who want to go grab something to eat?"

"Sure! But... What about Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"I'll text her. She'll know where we are if she wishes to join us." Jaune said. Ruby nodded and smiled while Blake got out of her bed. "You're... up for it, partner?"

"Please tell me this wasn't a pun." He frowned slightly but then smiled.

"Why? Was it a good one?" Both Blake and Ruby groaned.

"I'll go back to bed." Blake said.

"Just kidding, you know that I'm kidding. You have to get something to eat, might as well go with your team." Blake rolled her eyes but followed her teammates. While they walked towards the cafeteria, Jaune texted Weiss.

 _J: We're heading to the cafeteria. Do you want us to grab you something to eat or you'll meet up with us later?_

No answer. He frowned, thinking that his talk with her earlier wasn't as good as he expected.

 _J: Just remember to grab something to eat, we have combat class tomorrow. I'll understand if you don't go, you may need to spend some time by yourself. Ttyl._

He put his scroll back to his pocket, having a nice conversation with Blake and Ruby while walking down the hallway.

 _Scroll..._

 **Weiss's POV**

I felt my scroll vibrate again. I take a deep breath before finally reading the messages. As I expected, it was John. He was surprisingly nice for someone I met barely two days ago. He didn't seem to care for my money or my name. I don't know how he can trust and care for everyone so easily. He genuinely wants to help. After a sigh, I head to the cafeteria.

When I finally found them, I couldn't help but to fell... warm inside. They had paired up with Team LPYN. Yang was throwing cookies at Ruby's opened mouth from across the table, with Nora encouraging Ruby to catch every single one. Ren, Pyrrha and Blake were having a polite conversation while eating, occasionally glancing at the siblings and Nora just in time to see Ruby devouring another cookie. The sight would bring smiles to their faces, and a occasional eye roll. It was a childish behaviour, but they didn't mind because... they were comfortable with it. There was an empty seats between Blake and Ruby. I looked around, but couldn't find John. Since he's not there, I don't see how I'll be able to show my face on their table. It would be awkward and ruin everyone's mood. It's not worth it. I might as well go back to our dorm and...

"Leaving already?" I heard the voice behind me. I flinched momentarily, still looking at the group. By the corner of my eye, I see John standing by my side.

"How can they be so... comfortable around each other so easily?" I asked him. He raised an eyebrow before smiling briefly.

"Trust is earned in many ways. When Huntsman battle together, bonds are created. If you can trust your life to someone in the battlefield, you can trust them with pretty much everything else. It is sudden, but so is life. We band together in Kingdoms so we can survive and trust each other to maintain safety. Without trust, we've got nothing." I look down, absorbing his words.

"I know, but it's not that easy for me." I haven't trusted anyone else besides my sister and Klein for a very long time. Other than them, my aunt, before she died. When you can't trust your own family, it's hard to make friendships like those. I heard a soft muffled laugh. I glared at John, who just placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Weiss... You've already got that trust from them. From me." He added, perhaps for good measure. "Now you only have to show it back."

"How?"

"By sitting there and having a good time. Apologizing to Ruby later would also help." I frowned, causing him to sigh. "What you really think about it?"

"I'm not looking forward to it." I said truthfully, I don't want to admit that I was slightly incomprehensible towards Ruby. "But I promised you that I was going to try."

"Shall we go?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

"Yes." He walked by my side, a little bit closer than I would usually be comfortable with, but I guess he could sense my hesitation and this was his way of showing support. Ruby was the first to see us walking in, actually missing a cookie which passed by her side. Yang and Nora then looked at us, followed by the others. There was a tense silence until I sat between Ruby and John. Yang being the first to break the silence.

"It was about time for you to show up!" And just like that, the table's mood returned to normal. I looked at Ruby, who glanced me with hesitation. I have her a weak smile, and it was enough for her to light up again, hugging my arm awkwardly. I heard a soft chuckle from Blake and John by my other side, apparently from a joke told by Nora. Pyrrha was also controlling her laugh, and even the usually stoic Ren cracked a smile. Ruby offered me a cookie, which I couldn't deny. Being at this table felt like home. From playing with Klein and talking with Winter, my lessons with aunt Selene... It felt nice. Perhaps Beacon wasn't a bad choice after all...

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 **Next Chapter: January 21st**


	6. Chapter 5: Secrets

**Rooster Teeth... WHY DO YOU PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS LIKE THIS?! I can't do this anymore...**

 **ANYWAY, here's the chapter. A few notes before we go. First, I'll be changing the pairing. At first I was planning to go on a White Knight route, following the original fanfic, but I had to sacrifice a lot of interactions between them because of the current plot. So, yeah... Sorry if you wanted a White Knight story, but now it's going to be a... (Who am I kidding, you probally already saw in the pairings) KNIGHTSHADE! YEAH! Ok, that's it. Oh, I'll also be changing basically most of WOR -The Great War, for the plot's sake.**

 **Reviews:**

 **genorr (chapter 5): Thank you!**

 **dragoon109 (chapter 5): I know, I kinda sided with her on canon, and she's not entirely wrong. What is wrong is her way of abording the problem, the way she expected an immediate change of personality, and basically demanding it. But yeah, I see your point of view.**

* * *

The sound of metal against metal met his ears once again. He stood there, his shield up, taking the hit like a wall. His opponent, the mace wielder, quickly brought his weapon to the air once again, at least as quickly as he could, wearing that heavy armor and took aim for a brutal hit to the knight's unprotected stomach. The hit never had a chance to cause damage, since the mace met the sword and then the shield met Cardin's face. The brute stumbled back, dazed, as Jaune assumed his offensive stance. Aiming for the gaps in his opponent's pieces of armor, he delivered a series of precise slashes and stabs. A buzzer indicated the end of the match. Cardin being defeated without being able to get Jaune's aura into the yellow.

"That's the match. The victory goes to Mr. Beauregard. Mr. Winchester, while you did try to exploit your opponent's weak spots, your own weaknesses allowed Mr. Beauregard to balance the odds." She looked at the boy. "I suggest you to not only be aware of your opponent's weaknesses but also yours. And how to turn them into strengths, starting with your speed. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." He said, gritting his teeth at his loss, but also acknowledging what the teacher said. He got up, giving a nod towards the boy who beat him, acknowledging the well fought match. Jaune nodded back, making his own way towards his team. He smiled as soon as he saw Ruby jumping around in excitement, her eyes gleaming with awe and pride. Her partner seemed neutral, as if she wasn't surprised with the outcome, but still smiled at him as he sat between Ruby and Blake.

"You were awesome!" Ruby said excitedly, not even paying attention to the next fight.

"Thanks, I don't think it was that cool, but thanks." He said back.

"You're kidding me?! You were blocking and ducking and them bam! Pow! You didn't even get hit. And Cardin is pretty tough." Weiss rolled her eyes to her partner's remark.

"He's average." The heiress said. While the brute wasn't the worst fighter in their year, he was far from being the best. "I wish we had seen you fight with someone of your level."

"I guess it's too early for that, it's been only three weeks." Blake said. "Plus, it is a random match. I don't really see what the problem is, after all, being matched with higher leveled opponents just makes you train harder to beat them."

"You say that because you already fought him!" Ruby said, causing Jaune to sigh.

"Ruby, you know that if you want to fight me, we can always do it in the training rooms, right? All you have to do is ask." He said softly, watching the girl's face lit up. "Speaking of which, I've been working on a training schedule for the four of us, based on what I've seen from our fights in the past classes." Weiss raised an eyebrow, actually impressed.

"What you've planned?" She asked.

"Well, the basics. You guys don't have aura pools as large as mine, so we'll have to work on your stamina and resilience. I could always work on my speed as well. I have some exercises planned, if that's okay for you girls, and then all we have to do is find a good time for us to train." He said, earning a nod from the heiress.

"I'm fine with it." She said, bringing her focus back to the current match. She would never admit it out loud, but she could really use some physical training. Even with her aura, she became exhausted rather quickly from using her semblance.

"It sounds like it'll be fun! I'm on it!" Ruby said excitedly. Jaune looked at his partner, who shrugged behind her book. The buzzer brought their attention back to the stage.

"The match goes to Lie Ren. Well fought." She waited for the students to return to their seats. "Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will not only be representing Beacon, but also the kingdom of Vale." She looked at her scroll, checking the time. "Class dismissed." As she said that, the bell rang, and both BWBR and LPYN headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

 _Lunch..._

"So! There we were, in the middle of the night..." Nora said, getting complete attention from Ruby and Yang. Jaune listened to the story but was way kore focused on his food.

"It was during the morning." Ren corrected her.

"We were surrounded by Ursa..." She approached Blake, who was focused on her book. Weiss was doing her best to listen politely but was clearly failing.

"They were Beowolves." Ren stated.

"Dozens of them!" Nora screamed as she stood at the table, earning everyone's attention for a moment.

"Two of them." Ren rolled his eyes.

"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Ren sighs.

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now." A ringtone quickly interrupted the conversation. Jaune looked at his scroll, only to see a call from Katherine. He frowned, releasing a sigh, before declining the call. He could call her later. He looked up to see pretty much everyone staring at him.

"John? Are you okay?" Ruby looked at him worryingly, so did the rest of his team.

"Yes..." He hesitated for a second. "Why?"

"It's just that you seem a little... not okay..." She said, causing the boy to shrug and smile.

"I don't see why you'd think that, everything is completely..." He went silent, his attention focused on the members of Team CRDL, who were standing around a Faunus rabbit girl. Blake frowned at the sight, and so did everyone else. Before anyone could say something, Jaune was already on his feet, walking towards the scene with strong steps. He grabbed Cardin's hand before the brute could touch the girl's ears. Said girl was now staring at her savior curiously. "What's your name?" He asked her, ignoring Cardin's attempts to getting his hand out of Jaune's grip.

"V-Velvet." She shyly answered. Jaune nodded in acknowledgment.

"My name is John. Why don't you go sit with my friends over there while I have a talk with Mr. Winchester, I promise it won't take long." Velvet nodded and walked away. Jaune released the guy's hand, and stared at him intensely. Cardin tried to match his state with one of his own.

"This is none of your business, Beauregard." The boy said, earning a chuckle from Jaune.

"I guess it is. You've said by yourself, I'm a Beauregard. The same family who fought for Faunus Equality during the Faunus Rights Revolution. I may be on a further generation, but I share the same feeling as my ancestors." A minor lie, as he wasn't genetically a Beauregard, but Cardin didn't knew that. "So if I see you and your team harassing another student, Faunus or not, I'll make sure you get more than just a warning." The leader of team CRDL laughed at his face, and was quickly followed by his teammates. His eyes met Jaune's again, and he pushed the boy back.

"Or you'll do what, animal lover?" He hissed the last words with nothing but venom in his voice. Jaune took a deep breath before staring at the brute again.

"What did you say?" Oh well, he tried. Cardin's fist tried to connect with his jaw, but Jaune was able to get past of the initial surprise and avoided it. Cardin went for precise, strong punches. Jaune identified that as the brute's fighting style. Try to end everything quickly with a strong punch. And if that doesn't work, you hit it harder. Now that he was thinking about it, it was a good think to have taken those ballet classes. He dodged with a swift, graceful style. As a fan for theatrics, he liked to add some elegance into his fighting style. Cardin was starting to notice that his approach wasn't the best, so he called his teammates for help. Now in numerical disadvantage, Jaune decided to get Cardin to cool of, quite literally, as the words came to his mind as quickly as his eyes turned completely white. " _Vipera Aqua."_ The ground trembled a little as water pipes erupted from the floor, water bursting from them and shaping into snakes that hissed before wrapping the now scared and confused boys in a constricting hug. " _Carcere Glaciem."_

The snakes turned into ice, encasing team CRDL into individual ice cocoons. Only their faces were free, but it was clear that the situation wasn't comfortable for them. The floor, that was covered in puddles, also froze, such as the water pipes and the beverages on the closest tables.

"You freak!" Cardin struggled to get out of the ice. Jaune shut his eyes, wincing in pain for a moment as his eyes returned to the usual blue. He almost tripped over the ice, but was caught by Ruby, who appeared in a blow of rose petals.

"Thanks." He muttered softly, regaining his balance. He glared at the frozen team. "Will you apologize now, or do I have to give you a serious case of frostbite?"

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Beauregard." He heard the voice of his "mother" and flinched. "Headmaster's office. Now." He frowned but didn't say a word.

"Wait! He did nothing wrong!" Ruby exclaimed, earning a cold state from Professor Goodwitch and being quickly backed up by Nora, Yang, and Pyrrha.

"Four students frozen in the middle of the cafeteria says otherwise." She turned around to leave but was interrupted by another voice.

"Ruby's right! He was just helping Velvet!" Yang said. "They were bullying her!"

"Also, Cardin attacked first. John stopped him from touching Velvet's ears, and was going to walk away until Cardin tried to punch him. Even after that he didn't retaliated, he just dodged. Plus, they're not injured, just incapacitated." Blake added, standing by her feet, making the professor raise an eyebrow before opening her tablet. After some silent minutes of her watching the footage from the security cameras, she looked back at team CRDL.

"Indeed." She said, without breaking her stern demeanor. "Take team CRDL to Professor Peach's lab. She'll be able to defrost them. After that, it'll be their turn to go to the headmaster's office." Ruby and Blake were going to argue, but Jaune held a hand making them stop.

"It's okay, you guys did enough already. Thank you." He said with a small smile. The girls reluctantly nodded, walking towards the human popsicles. Team LPYN got up as well, ready to help their sister team. He smiled to himself, thinking of how they defended him. Now it was his time to defend himself.

 _Himself..._

" _Interesting"_ The headmaster thought to himself as he watched the footage once again. The way that the boy's eyes turned white, the short and occasional muttering... Could it be... Whatever his thoughts were, they were interrupted by the arriving of the subject himself.

"Mr. Beauregard. It's unfortunate that we've met under such undesirable circumstances." He gestured for the boy to seat down.

"Sir, I... He attacked first." He said in his own defense.

"I'm well aware, Mr. Beauregard. And while you were defending yourself, freezing your classmates wasn't the safest approach."

"With all due respect, sir, it was either that, let myself get beat up, or retaliate in a more aggressive combat. I haven't hurt more than that... than Winchester's pride." He said, trying his best to stay proper and composed. Ozpin stared at him for a couple moments.

"I guess it's true." The headmaster conceded. "I can't really punish you for defending yourself or for standing up to help a classmate..." The knight let out a small sigh of relief. "However..." He froze. "I would like to know how you were able to do such a display... your files do not link Hydrokinesis or Cryokinesis to your semblance. Actually it is currently labeled as Geokinesis, previously being Golem Animation. How were you able to do such a feat?"

"Actually sir, I don't know. I think it may be still my semblance. I summoned water snakes. Perhaps it may be still Golem Animation." He said defensively. "But I don't think that's the case."

"A dual semblance wielder, maybe? Since it still doesn't explain your Geokinesis, unless every single rock you control is a different golem." The headmaster pushed in, trying to get more information.

"I don't think so, sir. When I use my... semblance there's a difference between making a golem and doing what I did at today. Creating golems, summoning them... it isn't that simple. But doing the other things like that..." He pointed towards the footage of him against Cardin. "That felt so natural and simple in a way that it seemed like I've done it before even without doing so. It's almost... primal."

"I see..." Ozpin glanced at the clock. "I think I've heard enough, Mr. Beauregard. You're free to go. Professor Goodwitch will escort you to your current class, you're already late, but you may at least attend the rest of Bart's lecture." Jaune got up, heading towards the elevator. "And Mr. Beauregard..." The boy looked back. "If you feel the need to talk about your supposed semblance, and any changes to it, you can always drop by my office." The blonde boy nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind, sir." The elevator arrived, and he entered it along with Professor Goodwitch. The ride down was silent until she broke the silence.

"I apologize for being too harsh." She said, earning a shrug from the boy.

"You were only doing your job. I'm a student here, not..." _'Your son.'_ He completed in his mind. An awkward silence took place for a couple seconds, as he tried a different answer. "... someone who should be treated differently."

"Of course." Her voice hid a hint of sadness. The doors opened, and mother and son walked out from the building. "I'm glad you have a good team." She broke the silence again, and after seeing his confused look, she continued. "There are not many students who would willingly stand up against me. I can be a little... intimidating." Another pause. "They really like you."

"They're great friends." He said. "I guess I got pretty lucky." They entered the main building, some students who wandered around the halls glanced at them, specifically at Jaune.

"Have you called Katherine? She's been calling me to know about you." Jaune sighed. "I'll take that as a no." Her scroll bipped. "It looks like Professor Peach finished unfreezing team CRDL. I have to get them to Professor Ozpin." They stopped at Doctor Oobleck's classroom door. Glynda grabbed the handle. "Call her, please. You want answers, she can answer you even better than I can." He nodded. She opened the door and gestured for Jaune to enter. The two co-workers exchanged a glance and a nod, the combat teacher leaving quickly as her duties called her. Jaune took na empty seat by the front of the class. His teammates were looking at him with worried looks, and he tried to reassure them with a small smile.

"Mr. Beauregard! Good to see you! We were just talking about the Faunus Rights Revolution! I'm guessing that you know plenty on the subject?" The profess... doctor spoke quickly. Jaune barely had time to understand his words.

"I certainly know more than most people would, yes." He said, trying to follow the green haired man, who ran into the classroom with a speed rival to Ruby's.

"Excellent, excellent! Then you can enlighten us on the events of the battle of Fort Castle! Specifically how General Lagune was defeated." Jaune nodded.

"General Lagune was an arrogant man. He believed in strength in numbers, and didn't considered Faunus to be strategically organised, he didn't even considered them more than animals wearing human skin." He made a quick pause, remembering his lessons with Katherine. "He took what usually would be considered a valid strategy, attacking their camp while they were asleep. However he didn't even considered the near-perfect night vision shared by most Faunus. His army was soundly defeated, and he was captured. The battle is regarded as the war's turning point."

"Precisely! Well done, Mr. Beauregard." Doctor Oobleck took a sip from his coffee. "An interesting fact about the General's capture: He was incapacitated by one of his own men. Well, in that particular case, woman. Katherine Beauregard, or the Memory Stealer, as she was called after the war, acted as a spy for the Faunus forces. After using her semblance to convince a whole battalion that she was one of them, she was able to rise in their ranks, becoming a Lieutenant under General Lagune's orders in two and a half years. During the aftermath of the battle, the General was ready to escape with some high ranking offices, including Ms. Beauregard. She was able to efficiently defeat all the officers and the General himself and handed them to the Faunus forces." The man talked and moved so fast that it was hard to follow his words, but those who were able to now eyed Jaune with extra curiosity. "She kept her cover as the only one who was able to escape, and continued to leak information to her side." A student raised a hand.

"Why would she aid the Faunus if she is a human?" A random student asked.

"A fair, common question." Doctor Oobleck said. "Many believe that it is because of her husband, William Beauregard, a fox faunus who died in the war. He was a high ranking officer in the Faunus side of the war." Jaune raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Beauregard?"

"Her affiliation with the Arc family also influenced on her participation." He said, having heard old war stories from Katherine when he was little before his family was murdered. They weren't gruesome since he must have been eight years old, but she always gave him details where she could. The memories were fresh as if he had been told the stories yesterday.

"Yes, indeed. The Beauregards and the Arcs were powerful families back then, especially the Arcs, who rulled the kingdom of Arkend for generations, until... The Arc Massacre." He said with a somber tone. "Back then, Arkend was the only kingdom to officially support the revolution, Vacuo and Vale were sympathizers, but tried to maintain neutral."

"What was the Arc Massacre?" Another student asked.

"I'm afraid that is not the current lesson, so I don't see it's relevance now. However, we'll have a lecture about it next semester." A bell rang. "Well, that's it for today, class. See you all in our next encounter. Moving on!" He disappeared in a green blur. The students started to disperse, but Jaune wasn't surprised to see that his team and team LPYN were still in the room, waiting for answers. Before any of them could talk, he decided to put an end to the wait.

"I didn't get detention." His friends looked relieved, especially Blake and Weiss. The later due to the fact that her team's name wasn't tainted, but also for her leader.

"That's good to hear. You worried us for a moment." Yang said.

"Well, I guess I have to thank you guys for that." He said, pulling Blake and Ruby to a hug. "If it weren't for you things would've been ugly."

"It was nothing." Blake said awkwardly, not used to physical contact.

"Well, you still didn't answer us in the cafeteria." Weiss said. "What's wrong with you lately?"

"It's... nothing. Why would you guys think there's something wrong?" He asked, trying to leave the room, but being blocked by Ruby and Yang.

"You've been receiving and declining calls for the past two weeks." Blake said.

"You've also stopped training at night time, as you usually do." Pyrrha said, being used to finding him in the training rooms during her own training. They used to help each other. "At first I thought you were taking a break, but then you started to skip some of your morning exercises as well."

"That's true. You haven't been jogging on the last few days," Yang said, as they usually met during the mornings while on their own routines. "I thought it was something that I did."

"No! It has nothing to do with you guys!" He said.

"Then what is it?" Ruby asked.

"It's..." He sighed. "My family. I've got some personal issues, nothing big." He said, avoiding eye contact.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ruby asked as Jaune glanced at the classroom's door. Some students were starting to enter for their next class.

"Perhaps another time, in a more secluded place." He said, making his way between the sisters and getting out of the room. The remaining seven shared sad, puzzled looks, as they got out of the classroom as well.

"I don't get it. If it isn't a big deal, why does he don't want to tell us?" Yang asked to no one specifically.

"Everyone is allowed to have their own secrets." Ren said. "Perhaps he needs some time."

"I don't like that he's hiding something from us." Weiss said, sighing.

"John is a good person, I'm sure he has his reasons." Pyrrha added.

"Yeah! His family can't be that bad if he turned out to be the awesome guy he is, right Renny?" Nora said, earning a shrug from the boy.

"If only we knew who they were." Weiss said. "We know he's the grandson of Katherine Beauregard, but nothing else." Ruby gulped, trying her best to remain quiet. Her sister, however, noticed her struggle.

"Ruby knows something!" She said, pointed towards her sister. The red reaper yelped, finding herself surrounded.

"I can't tell a thing. I promised him I wouldn't! It's a secret!" She said defensively.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked, a little bit hurt for Ruby knowing secrets that her own partner was keeping away from her.

"I know who his mother is! He told me when we were heading to the auditorium on our first day here!" She said. Blake felt better after knowing that it wasn't as big as she thought.

"I don't like where this is heading to. As Ren said, everyone is entitled to their own secrets. Will we risk our relationship with John because of a secret?" Blake said, defending her partner, and, to some extent, herself. "I won't be a part of this." She walked away from the group, instead choosing to find her partner. He would need someone to be there with him, and she could try to do that.

 _Try..._

Jaune tried to dial the correct numbers several times, but his own reluctance was what was keeping him from calling Katherine. What would he say? Was he ready to hear the answers he was looking for? It was a silent night, but the view of Vale from the rooftop was amazing. He heard the access door opening, and saw his partner walking towards him. He acknowledged her presence with a nod.

"Hey..." He said softly.

"Hey..." She stood by his side, staring at the sky and the shattered moon. "You know they're planning to get this secret out of you, don't you?" He took a deep breath before nodding. "And before you ask, no. I'm not here to get them out of you."

"Well, that's good. So you've decided to isolate yourself with me?" He asked.

"Better than listening to their schemes." Blake shrugged.

"Nah... I could get you to spy on them, so I'd had an upper hand." Blake rolled her eyes.

"I've made my point clear with them. They'll suspect." Jaune sighed dramatically.

"Oh no! My plan was doomed from the start!" He said sarcastically, earning a punch in his arm. They shared a couple minutes of silence before Blake spoke up again.

"You're okay, right?" She asked. "Be honest, I'll know the difference."

"Blake..."

"You don't need to tell me why." She snapped. "Just... tell me if you're okay." He closes his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I trust you, Blake. You're the first friend I've made here." He looked her in the eye. "Do you promise you won't tell a thing to them? At least not until I decide to tell them?"

"Yes." He saw no hesitation in her eyes. He nodded, glancing away from her.

"My mother is Glynda Goodwitch. Well, my adoptive mother, that is." Blake's amber eyes widened more than once.

"I assume that you only found this out recently?" He nodded. "What happened to your parents?"

"Same thing that happens to pretty much everyone's parents in the Huntsman career." He said coldly. "And that's not even the problem."

"I..." After thinking a little, she decided to wait for him to continue.

"You know of my adoptive grandmother semblance, right?" Blake nodded. "Good. She... She entered my mind when I was little, to change my memories of them, because I'd seen they die. Every single memory of them, even the happy ones. For seven years, it was like they've never existed." Blake had a hand covering her mouth, the other placed on Jaune's shoulder. "Then she gave them back to me, and expects me to be okay with it, but it's only been barely a month since I got them back. Tell me, if you were in my shoes, would you talk to her in such a small amount of time?"

"No." She said, her voice trembling slightly. "Did your mother knew?" He nodded.

"But at the same time, I want answers. There's so much things I didn't know about my family's death, and I know she's the only one who can answer my questions." He curled his hand into a fist. "So no, Blake, I'm not okay." A single tear ran through his cheek. He looked away from Blake, not wanting to see her reaction. She did the only thing he wasn't expecting. She walked towards him and gave him a hug.

"I'm here for you. We all are, even if they don't know about your story yet." She buried her head into his chest, and he fought the urge to pet her head. "You... You're not the only one who is hiding secrets here." She said, her hand touching her bow. She took it off, revealing a pair of cat ears. Now he was really fighting to not pet them. "Well keep each others secrets."

"Sure, partner." He returned the hug. "We should get back inside. I'll meet you in a while. I have to make a call." He gestured to his scroll as she nodded, putting her bow back. She went ahead. He waited for her to go before shutting the door. He was about to call Katherine when he heard footsteps.

"Well, it looks like mister perfect isn't so perfect after all." Jaune frowned, recognizing the voice. "Is that how you escaped detention? Mommy saved you?"

"You're stepping on some thin ice here, Winchester." Jaune said, glaring daggers at the slightly taller boy, who at least had the decency to look threatened. "So tell me what you want or sod off!"

"What I want? Glad you asked. You see, Doctor Oobleck passed a lecture to my team about today's class, as a punishment for not attending his class. You wouldn't mind doing it for us, would you, buddy? Unless, of course, you want me to tell your secret to every single person in this school." Jaune laughed at the boy. "What's so funny?"

"You." He said, assuming a somber tone. "Trying to blackmail me, taking an advantage over my suffering, thinking that it makes me weaker..." The air got heavy, Jaune's eyes were slowly turning into white. "But you know what they say? Wounded Grimm are the deadliest. And while I'm no Grimm, the saying is fitting. _Mentis Angustia._ " He whispered, Cardin fell to the ground, taking his hands over to his head, wincing in pain, as it slowly got stronger. Mental Anguish, the words meant. "Still feeling like blackmailing me?" Earning a painful grunt in response, he released his mental grip over the boy, his eyes turning back to the usual blue. "Don't mess with me, Winchester. Consider this a final warning."

He left the boy alone in the rooftop, now with an extra thing to worry about. It felt so wrong, entering into someone's else mind, imposing his will over Cardin's. Katherine did this all the time, how could she sleep? Jaune regretted what happened almost immediately, he only wanted Cardin to feel his pain. His semblance or whatever power that was took it literally. It worried him. So much power yet... So little control. Without a word for his team, he drifted into sleep.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: February 4th.**


	7. Chapter 6: Forever Fall

**Hello, everyone! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. After the response on chapter 6, I spent some extra time reviewing this chapter.**

 **Review time:**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Erdrick the great: Well, it is your opinion and I respect it. Can't say I agree with it, though.**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Erdrick the great: Well, I also stand by what I said, but thanks, I guess.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **newwritter2016: Haha nope, not a pokemon move. Oh God, I can't believe I let that pass. Thanks a lot, I'll fix it.**

 **tonytaker: I'm going with Knightshade now. I ship Jaune with almost everyone, and I mean almost EVERYONE. I'm still mad because I haven't found those slash fanfics JauneXMercury Coeur Al'Aran mentioned once (Professor Arc. Get it? Anyone?), and there isn't enough MartialArcs on this site. Well, thank you, and be sure to check some Knightshade fanfics, it's a pretty good ship.**

 **gdvp111: Nah, no hard feelings. For me, it only shows that you care enough to point it out. If anything, I have to thank you for the interest.**

 **I'll be the first to admit that I've been lacking on some Jaune/Glynda/Katherine interactions. I have they planned and positioned, but I will concede that I've not thought about anything in between. It is my mistake and I'll assume it, but they will occur. As for the team's dynamics, I understand if it felt a bit rushed, but well... some friendships are like that. As for Ren and Nora, I feel like they were more influenced by Yang and Pyrrha than by Jaune. Like when Weiss and Blake stopped what they were doing when Ruby asked if Jaune was okay on the canon cafeteria scene. Friends of my friends are my friends and that kind of stuff.**

 **Oh, I beg to differ, but only because I have explanations to all of your questions, but on a later chapter. You'll have to hold on onto those Faunus related questions. As for Blake, its not like she told everything to Jaune. She still has her secrets, and so does he. I guess this chapter will explain at least a bit why it didn't took long for her to accept him as a friend, and their time before Beacon. Also, the main problem wasn't Glynda. Blake was just surprised.**

 **Cardin was mostly there because I needed him to be the start of a series of developments that will lead to a key part of the story. He certainly has a sense of self-preservation that would have stopped him from blackmailing Jaune otherwise. As for Katherine, I'll admit that the term "controlled" was misplaced. For her to control an entire battalion would have drained her completely. She altered some memories here and there of a small group at first, and then of others who got suspicious until there was no doubt she was one of them. I overlooked it, my mistake.**

 **Oh... Gee darn it, it would've been great. I wish I had thought on that. I mean, in a certain way, Jaunedice was skipped, but I really need Forever Fall, and you'll soon see why.**

 **demented potato: Thank you! I'm working on it!**

* * *

Author's POV

Jaune had been quiet since he woke up, the only words he said were to his partner. Weiss and Ruby noticed so, the heiress being the first to ask why, being quickly backed up by Ruby.

"Why aren't you talking with us?!" The white-haired girl demanded, pointing a finger to her leader.

"Yeah! You've been only talking to Blake since you woke up!" Ruby said, pouting.

"Well, Blake hasn't been plotting ways of finding my secrets." Both girls winced at his words.

"Who..." Ruby glared at Blake, who kept a neutral face. "Traitor!"

"Actually, she can't be a traitor if she didn't support you guys from the beginning. She's a spy, at best." Jaune said, defending his partner.

"Well, we're just worried about you! And if we're being fair, I haven't told what I know." Ruby said, crossing her arms.

"I'll tell you guys when I'm ready to talk about it. Don't get me wrong, I trust everyone in our team, and everyone on Team LPYN for the matter. Speaking of which, said team should learn a thing or two about privacy!" He said sarcastically, opening the door of their room and revealing the sight of their sister team, who were eavesdropping through the door, except for Ren, who had been trapped to the ground by Nora. "Minus Ren, who might need some medical attention. Really, get him to the infirmary." He closed the door at their faces. "Can you guys please trust me?!" Weiss sighed.

"Whatever." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I... I trust you."

"I trust you too!" Ruby said excitedly.

"We trust you, John!" They heard Nora screaming through the door. Jaune face palmed, his face now with a tinge of red.

 _Red..._

"It's so red! I love it!" Ruby said, referring to the red trees of Forever Fall. Jaune was carrying a crate full of empty jars.

"Yes, Miss Rose, the forest of Forever Fall is beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so." She took a jar full of a red liquid. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here by 4 o'clock."

"Let's go, team." Jaune placed the case on the floor, taking one of the jars from the top of it. His teammates did the same and headed to a secluded area of the forest, followed by Team LPYN.

"You look better." Blake said as they were sharing the same tree. Jaune finished filling his jar and handed it to Blake, grabbing hers and starting to fill it with the red sap.

"Yeah. After that conversation a few days ago, our team synergy is back." He said. "Talking with you also helped a lot. I feel lighter, you know?" She nodded, knowing the exact feeling.

"What are you two talking about?" Ruby asked from a nearby tree.

"Uhh... Nothing. Partner stuff." Jaune said, earning a frown from the reaper. She sighed softly before continuing to do her task. Jaune did the same. "Still, part of me regrets keeping this a secret from them..." He whispered, knowing that his partner would hear him with her superior hearing senses.

"You're the only one who decides how long they'll not know." She whispered back, to which he only nodded. After a few seconds, both of them had full jars.

"How are you guys doing over there? Need some help?" He asked his friends. Pyrrha was doing fine on her own, after finally finding a good tree. Yang was near Ruby, the sisters were still trying to find a good tree. Ren and Nora... He couldn't even look at poor Ren, doomed to refill the jars Nora drank. Weiss was the only one besides both of them who had seemed to have finished the task.

"I can't find a good tree." Ruby said, pouting.

"That makes two of us." Yang backed her up. "Do your tree have any juice left? "

"Feel free to check by yourselves." He gestured towards the tree. They gave room for the sisters and walked towards Weiss. "Any Grimm activity?"

"No. It's actually surprising." The heiress said. "Still, we have to keep vigilant."

"I wouldn't expect less." He said, looking at Weiss. "We should stand next to the..." He felt a shiver down the spine, followed by an impact and the sound of glass shattering. His aura protected him from whatever it was, but he felt a dense liquid in his back, which he assumed it was sap. The feeling of the sap against his skin burned. Blake and Weiss looked at him, and then at the source of the attack, both frowning. Jaune noticed that they also had a bit of sap staining their clothes. He looked back at the source, frowning immediately as he saw who it was.

"What a sticky situation, am I right, Johnny Boy?" The brute said with a smirk. Jaune's hands curled into fists as he fought back the urge to enter his 'White-eyes state'. "That's what you get for messing with me."

"As if we'd let you slip out without reporting this to Professor Goodwitch." Weiss said while gripping her rapier.

"Oh, you will. Unless your leader wants to get his dirty secrets slipped out." Cardin retorted, grabbing a box handed to him by one of his teammates. "And if you are wondering what is in the box, well... Just hope that you can run faster than these can fly."

He opens the box, releasing a swarm of black wasps. They moved fast, almost too fast for them to recognise what kind of Grimm they were. But it didn't matter. Their stings were enough to identify them as Rapier Wasps. Usually harmless unless provoked, its venom causing a sharp pain and temporary paralysis, lethal in high doses. Blake and Weiss, who were partly covered in sap, ready to run. Their leader, however, stood there in silence. Blake turned back, grabbing her partner by his arm.

"John! We have to go!" The eyes that met hers weren't his. Instead of the blue irises, she stared at blank white eyes, that showed a bit of affection for a split second before gazing at the Grimm with enough intensity to make Blake shiver.

" _ **Igne Furoris!**_ _"_ He screamed in a thousand voices as a fire blast went through the wasps, reducing them to cinders and bursting into flames where team CRDL were a few moments ago. Without saying a word, he ran towards them with a speed only overmatched by Ruby's, Blake's and Ren's.

"Ruby, Weiss!" Blake exclaimed, taking everyone out from their thoughts on the shocking scene. "Get Professor Goodwitch. Now!"

"On it!" Ruby said, running towards the forest's entrance. Weiss nodded in reluctance and followed her using a speed glyph. Blake ran to the opposite direction, hoping to catch up with her partner in time.

"Yang. You come with me. We'll protect them from possible Grimm." Yang nodded, quickly standing by his side. "You two, follow Blake."

"Yes, fearless leader Renny!" Nora said, saluting Ren before grabbing Magnhild from her back. Pyrrha grabbed Miló and Akouo on its sword form, ready to fight. The group split up, running towards their targets.

 _Target_...

 **Blake's POV**

That wasn't John. Or at least he wasn't acting like himself. The way his eyes turned into white and his voice... His voice had sounded like fragments of many voices. Echoes of men and women, his own voice lost. It scared me. He was going through a bad moment of his life...

 _And he trusted you..._ Said a little voice in the back of my head. And I trusted him. I trusted him in a way I only trusted Adam. _But he isn't like Adam..._ Adam would never show himself so vulnerable, not even to me. And that's a good thing. A great thing. He isn't like Adam. But... In his current state, what would he do? He's furious and irrational, and people can do horrible things in such state. I can't let he turn into Adam. I can't let he destroy himself like that.

As I finally reach John, I find him surrounded by five blue fireballs. Cardin, whose team is laying unconscious on the ground, is obviously his target. The boys have burn marks... But are alive nonetheless.

"Please! Don't do this!" Cardin said in fear, one arm covering his face. I screamed John's name, and watched as he looked towards me. His eyes still filled with power, but were oscillating into blue and white, finally setting into blue. I felt relief for a second when he smiled at me.

Then his eyes turned back to white, and the blue fireballs flew towards me.

"Blake!"

 _Blake..._

 **Author's POV**

" _Hey! You're Blake, right?" She remembered ignoring the boy at first, preferring to continue to read her book. However, she found the boy persistently annoying. Releasing a sigh, she lowered her book._

" _Yes." A short, dry reply. She cursed internally, hoping that the boy would stop pestering her._

" _I'm Jonathan Beauregard, I'm also taking the application tests for Beacon." She nodded, looking down at her book. She remembered him, his surname made impossible to her to forget him, otherwise. Even Adam held a tinge of respect by the Beauregard name. "What a coincidence to find you here."_

" _Yeah." And here she thought that visiting the park would be a good idea. 'It'll be nice.', she thought. 'No one is going to bother you while you're reading.', she thought. She hated being wrong, but she wasn't a seer, was she?_

" _You're not the most talkative of individuals, are you?" He bravely asked. Bravery or stupidity? She couldn't decide._

" _And you're not the most knowledgeable of individuals in terms of privacy and personal space, are you?" If he'd been hurt by her rebuttal, he didn't show it._

" _Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." He said with a sad smile. "It's just that you're the only other applicant that can keep up with me in terms of test results. It felt good to have someone who can challenge me intellectually for a change."_

" _Because the others aren't as smart as you, are they?" She said with a hint of poison, she hated people who considered themselves superior to others, in any ways._

" _No! Don't take me wrong! I was home schooled, so I hadn't peopled to call as equals. My grandmother can kick my ass, physically and intellectually." Her glare softened a bit but wasn't subsided. "Well, sorry again, I didn't mean to bother you. I'm just going to go. Have a nice weekend."_

" _Likewise." She said politely, satisfied to see him actually going away. He didn't seem that bad, but was definitely lacking in some social skills. After putting some extra thoughts, so did she._

 _Thought..._

'Where am I?' Jaune thought, opening his eyes to see a bunch of nothingness. To say that he was confused was putting it lightly. This time, he wasn't able to see nothing but a black room, and there were flashes of lights of different colours. Usually he had one voice giving him directions on what words to use and when. Now he had a crowd shouting him orders, controlling every muscle, every cell of his body. And all he could do was watch. He was angry, and the voices sounded angry, but decisive. Like a kingdom's war council after a threat to the king. Suddenly, one of the walls of the room turned into a big screen, and Jaune immediately recognized the sight of Forever Fall.

Jaune watched as he ran faster than he usually could, as he finally found team CRDL. At the sight of the team, he felt anger once more. The lights reacted the same way, and his mind filled with a silent rage. Cardin ordered his teammates to attack, and Jaune panicked for a second, not able to move. Then a female voice manifested itself in a pale yellow light, assuming the form of a slender woman in a green toga that covered her feet, her auburn hair braided into a halo braid with long tendrils that seemed to fit her head as a crown. She had a quiver on her back, and held a simple hunting bow. Her eyes were of a teal blue that almost seemed to glow against her tanned skin. When she spoke, Jaune felt a shiver down his spine.

" _Lysander... Take it over."_ A grey light became brighter in the corners of his mind, this time assuming the form of a tall, strong man. He was in full black armour and held a long sword. His face covered by his helmet, but showed his strong brown eyes. The man nodded before bowing to the woman.

" _As you wish, Lady Kalliope."_ He vanished into a flash of grey light, and Jaune saw himself fighting off Cardin's teammates in a fighting style different from his own. He wasn't using his shield, only the sword. Confused, he turned back to the woman, who now stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Where am I?" He asked. "What's going on?"

" _You aren't the most polite of individuals, are you? I believe people still introduce themselves before asking questions to strangers."_ She said coldly, earning a few muffled laughs from some of the lights nearby. Jaune had the decency to look embarrassed for a moment.

"I apologize. My name is..."

" _Jaune Arc, most known by the name of Jonathan Beauregard. I'm aware."_ She said without changing her analytical voice.

"Then why..." She shut him up with a glare that matched Glynda's when he misbehaved.

" _This room is your psyche. Well, a manifestation of it other than aura. The totality of your mind, conscious and unconscious. As to what is happening now, see it for yourself."_ She said, gesturing to the "screen", now Cardin had joined his teammates and tried to fight Jaune, or Lysander.

"If this is in my mind, why there are talking lights that take over my body?"

" _If that was the case, I'd say you're pretty messed up, kid."_ Said a male voice coming from a wine coloured light, that took the shape of a slender man with white hair and blood-red eyes matching his vest, under a black long tail coat. He wore black pants, a silver rapier resting by his side.

" _Vladimir... There was no need for you to manifest yourself."_ The woman said, almost snarling at the man.

" _You forget that I am his predecessor, not you. And I've done a very nice job until you decided to take over!"_ He said, earning a glare from the taller woman.

"It's your voice." Jaune said, looking curiously at the man. "The voice in my head, telling me those strange words..."

" _Vladimir Schnee, at your disposal._ " He said, bowing to Jaune.

"Schnee? Like Weiss?" Jaune asked, frowning.

" _My grandniece, I suppose. I haven't talked to my family years before my death. I was disinherited. My brother was a good man, but our father... well, it doesn't matter now._ " Her turned back to Kalliope. " _What matters now is that you have to stop taking over like this! We're supposed to guide him, this is far from guidance if you asked me."_

" _Good, because I haven't."_ She answered back, pointing to the fight happening on the screen. _"This is a threat!"_

" _These are seventeen-year-old boys who just are really stupid! What's next? You're going to hold a war council next time someone spills a drink over the boy?!"_ There was some humming from some other lights, agreeing with the man.

" _Ignis Flagellum!"_ She said, pointing to the screen. A fire whip wrapping around Sky's halberd. " _Vipera."_ The whip now was alive, turning into a snake. The fire snake wrapped itself around Sky's wrist, climbing to his arm. Kalliope then turned back to face Vladimir. _"They threatened a Faunus, tried to threaten us and now released rapier wasps that would severely hurt or kill us. It was necessary."_

" _They tried to threaten him!"_ He pointed to Jaune, who was now more confused. _"He handled these situations accordingly, with my help. We're not supposed to interfere like this! We can't broadcast our powers like that! He wasn't even supposed to be here!"_

"Can someone please explain this to me?!" Jaune asked. For the first time since he had seen them, they shared a silent nod. Both then turned to face Jaune.

" _You're right. His presence here was a mistake, at least for now."_ She conceded. _"But there's no turning back now. Ladies, gentlemen, show yourselves!"_ The lights around the room took form, shaping into men and women, some with Faunus appendages. Jaune identified at least fifteen different individuals, some younger, some older. He also noticed that there was a lonely light of a light blue standing in the far middle of the room. Kalliope noticed his curiosity. _"That is the primordial. The first of us."_

"Us?" He asked.

" _We're you."_ Vladimir said. " _Well, actually you were us."_

"What?" Jaune frowned, quickly glancing at the screen as Dove fell out of combat by a fireball.

" _We're your past lives."_ Kalliope said bluntly.

"But how... Does this has something to do with your voice in my head, saying what words should I use?" Jaune asked Vladimir, who raised an eyebrow and smiled.

" _Yes, it does. You see, when the mantle is passed away, it is the duty of its former bearer to teach the next generation. I was taught by Lysander, who was taught by Kalliope, who was taught by Kwan, who was taught by... Well, I think you got it."_ The Schnee said, gesturing to the others in the room. _"I am your teacher, your guide, until you've reached your full potential. Situations like these are rare."_

" _But heard of, by us, at least. It isn't the first time and I doubt it will be the last."_ Kalliope added.

" _Yes, but usually those situations weren't because of such trivial things!"_ A man dressed in fur clothes and metal armour resembling a barbarian spoke. _"When I faced a horde of Goliaths by myself, we didn't call a reunion! He would've handled a few rapier wasps with a spell only. And it's obviously skilled enough to handle the four of them by himself."_ The man said, being quickly backed up by others.

"Wait! Before you all start arguing again, I want answers!" Eyes all across the room turned to Jaune. Some of them were curious, others amused by his bravery or stupidity, and others were just menacing. "W-Why am I here?"

" _I like this boy."_ Said the man who spoke earlier. _"You see, when the current host is in some sort of mortal danger, we can interfere in a more direct way if we want to. Only to prevent his or her death and the following restart of the circle. In this case, however, I have to agree with Vladimir. There was no need for this, Kalliope."_

" _Thank you, Arbrath."_ Vladimir said. _"Any more questions?"_ Jaune snorted, looking at Vladimir as he was crazy. _"Fair enough. Unfortunately, I think it's time for you to go back. We shall not interfere like this anymore unless something really threatening happens."_ He said, frowning at Kalliope, who rolled her eyes in annoyance. _"Any objections?"_ No one showed any concerns. _"Good."_

"But..." A blinding light filled his eye sight, and he saw Forever Fall again, this time with his own eyes.

" _Well, kid, guess you'll be stuck with me for now."_ He heard Vladimir's voice in his head. _"From now on you may talk to me when you feel the need. I won't get in your thoughts unless you call me or when I sense some danger. You might notice that your control over your powers is better now, however using them for a long time with your inexperience has a rather inconvenient after effect. For now, let's finish this up, shall we?"_ Jaune raised an eyebrow and nodded, his eyes still white. _"Good. Now, this one is one of my favourites. Try 'Sanctum Ignis'."_

" _Sanctum Ignis."_ Jaune almost whispered, feeling the air around him heat up and form a fire ring before fragmenting into seven fireballs. The flames turned blue and he saw Cardin shiver. However, the brute still lunged his mace towards Jaune. He sidestepped the move, throwing a single fireball to knock Cardin away. The leader of team CRDL tried to get his mace, which landed a few inches away from him. A second fireball hit the ground between his hand and his weapon, scorching his fingers. He grunted in pain, turning around to see the blonde leader gazing at him with piercing, yet almost lifeless, white eyes. Fireballs circled him in a protective way, ready to react at his will.

"Please! Don't do this!" Cardin said, covering his face with his arm. Jaune's eyes were emotionless, the blue fire now swirling around him.

"John!" Said boy turned around, recognizing Blake's voice. He hesitated, looking down at her glowing amber eyes. He saw relief and fear, though her fear wasn't from him, but for him. When he allowed himself to dismiss his power, a lot easier than normally. He smiled at her, and saw hope. Before either could talk, he felt himself flaring with power once more, and before he could do a thing about it, his hand flickered, releasing five blue fireballs towards Blake.

 _Blue..._

 _She noticed the boy's blue eyes following her as she entered the room. She took her seat a few seats under his. Beacon's entrance exams were everything but quick, under her perspective. If you hadn't attended combat school, you had to face physical exams, written tests, attend lectures on the responsibility of being a hunter, protecting people and such. Most of the people there were either like her, who had grown far from the kingdoms, or had private tutors. Home schooling wasn't uncommon between the most privileged layers of society. And the Beauregard boy was one of them. He was a talented one for sure, if his marks were anything to go by. She found herself quite annoyed by the fact that he was able to outshine her by mere points. She understood what he said when they first properly met now. It felt good to have someone to rival her, at least academically. She wasn't in need of life-threatening rivals after she left the Fang. Her respect for him was slightly increased._

 _A few days later, she'd finally done it. She bested him. The combat school had a peculiar selection process. There were tests, but there wasn't such a thing as an admissible grade. Only the best were allowed in. Beacon had even a panel that showed all the applicants names and their grades. They were ranked according to their scores, the lowest you were on the board, the smallest your chance was. A red line separated the ones who had a place granted and the ones who wouldn't get in. And for the first time, she was in first place. He was a single point behind, with a solid second place. She caught his eye after he saw the results, she couldn't help but to smirk at him. He'd frowned at first, but then raised an eyebrow and nodded in recognition and respect, bearing a small smirk of his own._

 _She was at Beacon's library the next time they met. He sat down by her side with a book on Dust Manipulation, she watched from the corner of her eyes as he occasionally took notes on a small notebook of his own. They were both in first place by that time, their next assignment would change that. She had finished hers already, but couldn't resist the temptation of peeking out from her book, trying to read his notes._

" _You can always ask, you know?" He said absent-mindedly. She turned her eyes to her own book, cursing internally for being caught. "Want to study together for the next assignment?"_

" _I already did mine." She said in a teasing, albeit innocent, tone. "Why? Do you need help?"_

" _Not really. I just thought you might have needed my assistance. I was wrong, apparently." He said cordially. "Perhaps another time, then."_

" _Of course." She answered back, causing a comfortable silence between them. "We could study together for the upcoming History assignment." She said after a couple of minutes. She caught his smile by the corner of her eyes._

" _I would enjoy that." He got up from his chair. "Tomorrow at the same time?" She nodded. "See you tomorrow then, Blake."_

 _Blake..._

"Blake!" Pyrrha exclaimed, watching the black haired girl duck from an upcoming fireball. However, the blue barrage of flames went about a foot above where her head was, striking a sneaky Ursa Major. It's fur was caught in the blue fire, causing it to wail in pain. Pyrrha threw her spear at the Grimm's unprotected belly, which led to the creature to curl up slightly in reflex, lowering his head low enough so Nora could hammer it, breaking the skull and causing the Grimm to slowly dissolve. After the Ursa was gone, Blake looked over at her partner, now staggering on his own feet, trying to stand still. He was not feeling well, she could see in his eyes. She ran towards him, catching him before he could fall.

"John! Are you okay? Speak to me!" She demanded, pressing her hand against his forehead. She heard her leader grumbling, or at least she thought it was a grumble until his mouth released a chuckle.

"I knew you cared." He said, and she fought against the urge to slap his face for worrying her. "Are they injured?" He asked, referring to Team CRDL. She glanced at the three unconscious teens, and their wounded leader.

"They'll live." She stated dryly. "It's not like they didn't deserve the beating. Their auras and pride took most of the damage."

"Most?" He asked, a look of worry in his eyes. He was too caring for his own good, sometimes.

"A few minor burns, but they'll be fine." She said reassuringly. "How about you? You seem like you're going to fall apart."

"I..." His brow furrowed. "I need to talk to the headmaster." He said, before drifting through unconsciousness.

 _Headmaster..._

"Ozpin!" A very angry Glynda was pacing around the headmaster's office, her thoughts drifting to her now unconscious son resting at Beacon's infirmary. "You will not disturb him now! He is unconscious! He needs rest!"

"He did request a talk with me. If his display on the forest wasn't proof enough, whatever information he has might put an end to our worries." Glynda scoffed at him.

"He needs to rest. You can talk to him after he recovers. I don't see how waiting a couple of hours, maybe days will interfere in whatever your plans are. I won't allow you to come close to him if I might!" She said with a fire in her eyes that caused even Ozpin to flinch.

"You don't need to worry, Glynda. I was not intending to wake him up from his rest." He said blankly, causing the deputy headmistress to frown.

"Then how..." The elevator doors opened, revealing the sight of someone she wasn't expecting to see. "No." She muttered. "No! I will not allow this again!"

"It's good to see you as well, Glynda." Katherine Beauregard stepped out of the elevator, her brown eyes drifting between Glynda and Ozpin. "You wanted to see me, headmaster."

"Yes, please, take a seat."

"No. It won't be necessary. I'm not doing it." Ozpin flinched.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You forget that I have much more to lose than to gain, Ozpin. Jonathan's, or Jaune's, it doesn't matter, trust in me is still fragile. I'm not going to risk what's left of my relationship with him because of your impatience and stubbornness." Glynda visibly relaxed, as Ozpin was ready to argue. "And yes, I am aware of your worries. You forget that I was in the circle before you could even hold a weapon."

"Then you know that dark times are coming." Ozpin said, his usually welcoming visage cold, hurt and, dare she say, rather menacing. "We need to be sure he will be properly trained as soon as possible." Katherine sneered at his remark.

"He doesn't need your training. You know how the process works. I knew Vladimir, I am sure he's doing a good job tutoring John." She turned towards Glynda. "Now, darling, it would be good for him to wake up around familiar faces. Would you kindly take me to the infirmary?"

"Of course. I've finished my duties for the day unless you wish me to do something else, headmaster?" She asked with an uncharacteristic innocence.

"No, Glynda. You may go. Inform me of any signs of his recovery." He said, his masquerade showing again. "Have a nice day, Katherine."

"I had no idea you thought of me like that, Ozpin. I expected a little more of respect for your elders." She heard Ozpin growl in embarrassment and anger as she left the room with Glynda.

"What was that?" Glynda asked.

"Nothing that I've never heard, that stubborn man.." She shrugged, walking in precise steps along Glynda. "How is John, since he got here?"

"He is the leader of his team." Glynda said, to which Katherine smirked knowingly. "He got along with them quite well, and with another first year's team: Team LPYN. He is doing great on every subject so far, and his fighting abilities are still sharp as a knife."

"That's good to know. I already suspected that he was going to be appointed as a team leader. I see a lot of his mother when I look at him." Katherine said. "His father as well, but... He has that fire she had, that kindness..." The telepath sighed. "How are things between you two?"

"We're communicating better, but he's still hurt. He is a very good actor, thanks to your etiquette lessons. He really knows how to hide his feelings." The blond sighed. "He is trying his best to talk to me again without looking hurt, but I still see the look of betrayal in his eyes."

"A mother always knows when something is wrong with her child." Katherine remarked. "Have you talked to him? Actually talked about everything?"

"I was hoping on waiting until the two of us could talk to him. Together." The elder woman nodded.

"I agree. It's about time we had a much-needed talk."

* * *

 **I based Beacon's entrance test from Veronica Roth's Divergent Series. Basically Dauntless initiation, but with an academical touch.**

 **See you guys soon!**

 **Next chapter: February 18th.**


	8. Chapter 7: Answers

**About the finale (Spoilers, duh) : I cried, I laughed... I took several hits to the feels. The Nuckleavee fight was a little underwhelming, but other than that it was great. I can't wait for season 5.**

 **So... Hello again! Here is today's chapter.**

 **newwriter2016 (chapter 7): Yay! Thank you, that's what I intend to do. Actually no, I wasn't aware of that. I never watched NCIS, so I guess it's pure coincidence. See ya!**

 **Jack Lycan (chapter 7): Well, I guess you'll have your answer today.**

 **Jack Redhawke (chapters 1-3): Thank you, and I'm aware of my mistakes involving past tense. I'm working on it. I said it once and I'll say it again: english is NOT my first language. My writing style is the same as if I were writing in portuguese, but the tenses that make sense in my language don't necessarily make sense in yours. As I said, I'm working on it.**

* * *

 _Author's POV._

Glynda opened the door to Jaune's room, causing the seven conscious students to watch as Katherine Beauregard entered the room, her long black dress covered her feet, making it look as she was gliding through the room, her movements always elegant and imposing. Weiss was the first to stand up from her chair, performing a curtsy to the older woman.

"Lady Beauregard, it's an honor to meet you." The other girls made their reverences after her, and Ren bowed down in a sign of respect. Blake, however, remained in her seat next to Jaune's bed and didn't even tried to acknowledge Katherine's presence in the room. If the telepath was affected by the the lack of a reaction from the black haired girl, she didn't showed it.

"I assume you are my grandson's classmates." She bowed her head slightly. "It's my pleasure. It is unfortunate that our first meeting had to be under these circumstances. I take it that some of you are on his team?"

"Yes. I'm Ruby Rose." The little reaper said. "This is my partner, Weiss Schnee. And..." She looked back at Blake, who was still sat down. "That's Blake, John's partner."

"Blake Belladonna?" Amber eyes met brown. "My grandson mentioned you more than once while he was taking the exams for Beacon." Blake didn't break the eye contact but also didn't spoke. Katherine was not fazed by her lack of response and quickly changed the subject. "And the rest of you?"

"We're team LPYN." Ren said. "Your grandson's team and mine are close. I'm Lie Ren, this is my partner, Nora Valkyrie, and these are Pyrrha Nikos and Yang Xiao Long."

"A pleasure. It's good to see that John was able to make friends outside his own team." She took a deep breath. "How did it happen? I wasn't fully informed on the details of his condition."

"He passed out." Pyrrha said. "He... It's a long story."

"Well, we do seem to have time." Katherine took a seat that was previously taken by Weiss, at the other side of Jaune's bed. "Don't spare me from the details, and please don't tell me half-truths. I'll know the difference." A few seconds of silence followed her sentence, she could see the apprehension in their eyes. She caused this effect on people. When someone knows that they can't lie to you, they feel uneasy because they easier route, or quick escape is no longer viable. The young Schnee was the first to break the silence, telling about the incident on Forever Fall. Miss Valkyrie and miss Nikos filled some details from before he passed out. But there was a gap between their reports that bothered her. She turned to the Belladonna girl, who hadn't gave her a slight information on the matter. "What about you, Miss Belladonna? What did he told you before he fainted?"

"He told me he wanted to see the headmaster." The girl said, not looking into the woman's eyes.

"She speaks." Yang whispered loud enough for only Ruby and Weiss to hear. She received a not so discreet punch to the arm by Ruby.

"Nothing more? Maybe before that?" Katherine insisted.

"No." Blake said coldly. "He showed some concern over team CRDL, but nothing more. I guess you'll have to wait until he wakes up, if he wishes to tell you." Katherine translated that as a threat. Jaune must have told her about what she did to protect him. And miss Belladonna was clearly willing to fight her if she dared to enter Jaune's mind. Not that Katherine would blame her, she knew half of the truth. Still, she wanted to see how far she trusted him, how far she would go to protect him.

"Very well. Don't you have classes to attend? I'd rather spend some time alone with my grandson." The teenagers shared a couple of looks. Ruby was the first to speak up.

"I'm sorry, but we won't leave this room until he wakes up." Now that surprised Katherine, she expected Belladonna to stay, but not all of them. "We're his team, and friends. He's as much as family to us as he is to you. We're not leaving."

Katherine allowed herself to crack her expression a little, raising an eyebrow to the little girl. After a second look at her, Katherine noticed her silver eyes and suddenly the girl's doubtless bravery made sense.

"Very well." She made herself comfortable on the chair. "I have some interesting stories about John that might entertain you while we wait."

 _Wait..._

"Wait... Is this going to happen every time I use these powers?" Jaune asked Vladimir while in his unconscious state. Both men had been discussing the ups and downs of Jaune's powers.

" _It is common if you are in the state for long periods of time. However, after you use these powers for a couple of months, passing out like this will become more rare. The magic has to grow accustomed to your body."_ Jaune nodded, still absorbing the information.

"So let me get this straight." Jaune sighed. "The Tale of the Seasons and the Tale of The Apprentice are not only real, but also entwined to each other. And I am the current host of the apprentice's powers."

" _Exactly. That's why you must talk to the headmaster. He will be an important ally to you. He's a part of the Circle."_

"The Circle? The one you told me about..."

" _He'll be able to answer your questions about the Circle better than I would."_ Vladimir straightened up his back. _"Now, I suppose we had enough of a question and answer today. You had enough recovery time, focus your mind and you'll get back to your body."_

"Okay." Jaune took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to focus. The task itself proved difficult since he had too much going in his head, when he opened his eyes, however, he found himself surrounded by a variety of eyes. The brown pair of eyes startled him the most. He was barely able to open his mouth as a pair of arms embraced him. He looked at his partner, her face buried in his shoulder. He smiled to himself, hugging her back.

"Don't you dare to do this again!" She said firmly, now facing him. Her eyes told him another story, being filled with worry and relief.

"I'll try not to." He straightened himself up, now sitting. Ruby was the next to tackle him, talking about how worried she was and the scare he gave them. He whispered an apology in her ear and she let him go. Weiss seemed to not know what to do, her arms resting on her sides as she remained uncertain. Jaune extended a hand towards her, which she hesitantly grabbed with both of her hands, giving it a light squeeze.

"I... We were worried about you. Try not to be this reckless next time, okay? For your own sake." Jaune resisted the urge to snort. It was exactly something that Weiss would do, express her worry and berate him at the same time. He beamed a smile at her, slightly amused.

"Of course, how reckless of me." He said in a playful tone. She pulled her hands out of his with a huff. "I'm just messing with you, Weiss. I knew you cared." The heiress huffed again, but was not necessarily angry. Pyrrha and Yang, his usual workout buddies, hugged him simultaneously. Ren offered him a smile and a nod, which Jaune returned. Nora gave him a bone-breaking hug, which he weakly returned. His eyes turned to Katherine next, as he gave her a neutral look. Katherine, who was quietly watching the scene, smiled at him.

"Hello, grandson. It's been a while." His eyes hadn't drifted away from hers. Katherine drifted her eyes to Blake's hand, pressed against his chest in a protective way. The way she glared at her was only another proof of the girl's awareness. "Your friends have told me a lot of your time at Beacon, but I feel like we should talk. Alone." She said the last part bluntly. Blake turned towards Jaune and started whispering in his ear, but he held a hand in the air and she stopped.

"Leave us alone, please. My _... grandmother_ and I have a lot to talk." He said with politeness. A tone that Weiss recognised as the one commonly used at high society balls and parties, calm and indifferent. She frowned slightly, her opinions on Katherine changing drastically after seeing how her leader's interactions with her were. Still, she respected her leader's decision, and nodded. She shared a knowing look with Pyrrha, who caught the tone as well. The spartan's fists curled up, as she reluctantly left the room, followed by the others. Blake stayed behind, but followed them due to her partner's insistence.

"Oh, Miss Belladonna." Blake stopped when Katherine referred to her. "Ask Glynda to join us, please." Blake bit back a retort and left the room, luckily for her Miss Goodwitch was already on her way, looking quite anxious. The deputy headmistress closed the door behind her with a flick of her riding crop. Blake tried to press her ear against the door, but couldn't go past an invisible barrier. She couldn't hear a sound passing the barrier with her Faunus ears, so it only could be sound proof. Blake cursed internally and externally, joining the others in the waiting room.

 _Room..._

"So..." Katherine said, breaking the silence that filled the room. "I suppose you want answers."

"Why you hid it from me for so long?" He asked bluntly. "I can understand you doing this after it happened, but couldn't you at least give me my happy memories back? Couldn't you at least have let me know of their existence? They were my family, for Oum's sake!"

"We decided to wait until you were of age." Katherine said calmly.

"You decided to wait until he was of age." Glynda interrupted her. "I told you to tell him the truth when he first showed signs of getting his memories back, slowly prepare him for the truth, give him access to some of his oldest, happy memories, but no, you wanted to play it safe." The professor was slowly losing her cold demeanour. "I regret my decision of letting it happen every day, and for that I apologise, John."

"Playing it safe kept our cover." Katherine huffed. "You got them back, perhaps a little late, but you have them again. I'm... sorry it had to be this way, but I went to the war. I know how people like _him_ work. He is the kind who has spies everywhere, who has informants in every kingdom, some of them disguised as ambassadors and diplomats. He is the current ruler of Arkend, after all. I knew what had to be done, and I did it. You can blame my ways, but you can't deny my reasons nor results." Jaune sighed.

"Okay, you know what? Let's not talk about that now. I'd rather have my questions answered before you two start attacking each other." Both woman subsided their glares and looked back at Jaune. "Why was the White Fang involved in the attack? They were a peaceful organisation until then."

"Their leadership had changed under pressure. That was their first attack,they wanted the world to know that they meant business, what a better way than to attack a kingdom?" Katherine asked rhetorically.

"Even so, why Arkend? Why not Mistral or Atlas, where the tension was higher?" He asked, and Katherine seemed satisfied with his question.

"Remember what I taught you about politics and war strategy. First of all, who would suspect a Faunus organisation to attack the royal family of a kingdom that hadn't been nothing but welcoming to their kind?"

"It still doesn't explain why..." Jaune said after putting some thought in it.

"If you look back at the political situation at that time, it'll make more sense." Glynda said. "Back then, Arkend was a small kingdom, it hadn't been fully recognized by the other kingdoms, since Mistral was neutral and Atlas was against it. Arkend had a seat on Remnant's Council, or Grand Council, as it's more known by Vale. Being composed of the leaders of the four kingdoms, but Arkend couldn't vote."

"Now, in politics, you need allies. That's essential. Arkend still could present projects and laws to the Grand Council, and it did several times, regarding Faunus labour and their rights. However, for a law to be approved, the project has to be debated individually in each kingdom's council and then at the Grand Council, where the leaders vote for or against the project based on their own council's decision. The results were always the same. Vacuo, Vale and, sometimes, Mistral agreed with the law, but Atlas always stood against it. The problem being that the council has to vote on unanimity, to avoid a war, they said." Katherine snorted. "A bunch of rubbish if you ask me."

"It didn't took long for the White Fang to realise that waiting for a law would take years, decades even. They were left with 'no other choice' than to retaliate in a less pacifist way." Glynda continued.

"So they just betrayed the only kingdom who was able to get their message across?" Jaune furrowed his brow.

"Today's allies are tomorrow's enemies." Katherine quoted. "They had no more use to Arkend, their idea of passing their message peacefully was doomed from the start. They had to cause an impression on the world and Arkend was clueless, useless and a potential threat once they started their attacks. Plus, they had someone who could give them resources."

"Rasputin..." Jaune said, almost in a growl.

"Yes." Katherine said with a hint of venom in her voice. "They had resources, the opportunity, and a reason. They would be stupid to not accept it."

"You said Arkend was a small kingdom by then. How did it survive the attack?"

"Arkend isn't the most privileged kingdom in terms of geographical barriers, being at the far East of Solitas... One of it's few advantages is the ocean. Arkend is surrounded by water by every direction but North, covered by pine forests and Azure lake. There are not many aquatic Grimm, and while Mistral has the most advanced naval fleet, Arkend's is second best. It's borders are well defended and their army can be easily compared to Atlas's in terms of discipline and power. Well, at least until they decided to use robotic soldiers." Katherine said with disgust. "Walking garbage, that is."

"They are also really resourceful." Glynda added. "They had a close relationship with Atlas when Arkend was still a village. Your parents, and basically every Huntsman of the kingdom studied at Atlas Academy. But I've heard they're investing in their own school."

"More like a Huntsman army." Katherine scoffed and Glynda couldn't argue. "And before you ask, their relationship with Atlas faltered when your parents assumed the throne. But with Rasputin in power... He is clever, I'll give that to that bastard. He knows how to play with people, how to form alliances. He convinced the world that he was a victim, and emerged as the savior of a nation. Luckily there are still people on our side who can see past his act."

"Ironwood is the only reason Arkend and Atlas haven't formed an alliance as sister kingdoms." Glynda added. "If Rasputin had access to Atlas military..."

"Then why not unmask him? Ironwood knows, I assume professor Ozpin knows... They're powerful influential people if they revealed Rasputin's scheme, they could..." Katherine silenced Jaune with a state.

"They could, but not without proof."

"Our memories! My existence! Isn't that enough proof?" Jaune asked again, his anger showing. Katherine sighed, crossing her legs and waited for him to burn it out. "... DNA tests, memory projection, witnesses from the castle!"

"Memories and DNA tests are easily forged." Katherine said simply. "So they aren't concrete proof, not to mention that Rasputin insisted on hiring his own staff after he took over. The old staff coincidentally decided to go on a vacation trip to Vacuo and the ship mysteriously vanished from the map. I know how you feel and trust me, I sympathize."

"Then what's the plan?" Jaune asked, now with a clear mind.

"For now you must train. Try not to gather much attention to yourself. Don't misplace your importance. Even though we can't prove yet, you're still the only legit heir to the throne. Until then, live... enjoy the company of your friends, It's not a scenario you'll have forever."

"Should I tell my team?" He asked, a little unsure. "Blake already knows a bit, but... I don't know if I should tell everything yet."

"If you want my honest opinion, no. The less people who know, the better." Katherine sighed as she saw his brow furrow. "You are still young. You still believe and trust people... And you wish to be loved. It is of course a character flaw, but a tolerable one. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of pathetically selfish people who will exploit that."

"But they're your team and as such they deserve your trust. Tell them your story, if you must, but it would be best if you kept some secrets. Most importantly, the fact that you're the last Arc." Glynda said while sending a subtle glare to Katherine.

"I stand by what I said." Katherine shrugged. "Still... It's your choice. They are certainly loyal to you, especially the Faunus girl."

"H-How do you even..."

"Please, I spent years fighting along Faunus. I can recognize one on disguise with less than a look." The Beauregard matriarch said, getting up. "I guess we had enough of a talk for now. Glynda will answer whatever you want to know. Still, if you do feel the need to talk to me, drop by home. Bring your team for a visit, they seemed very entertained by some of my stories regarding you." She winked at Jaune, who only groaned in embarrassment. "Glynda, if you would kindly set down your part of the barrier..." With a flick of Glynda's wrist, the barrier that surrounded the room emitted a purplish glow before fading away. Katherine fired a blast of her own, making what was left of the barrier glow in a light blue before disappearing completely. Katherine opened the door, only to face with seven students waiting on the outside.

"Can we see him now?" The young Rose asked reluctantly.

"I guess so. Professor Goodwitch is still asking some questions to John, but once she's out, you'll be allowed in." Katherine said with the same cordial mask from before. "It was a pleasure to meet you all, but I'm afraid I have to go." She bowed slightly. "Take care of my grandson." The group have their goodbyes and Katherine walked towards the exit, stopping midway, a small smirk breaking her cold demeanor for a moment. She turned her head to her back slightly, and addressed the students in a calm, yet amused tone. "And, yes, I'm a massive snob, and there was no need for you all to think it at once."

She left without seeing their shocked, embarrassed expressions.

 _Shocked..._

The amount of information Jaune received in such a small time shocked him. Things made more sense now, but still... It was a lot to take in. Glynda sat besides him in case he wanted to ask any more questions. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat.

"Are you still mad at us?" She asked, earning a sigh from the boy.

"No." He almost whispered. Glynda visibly relaxed but noticed his hurt look. "I get it now. Most of it. I was stubborn and difficult... I'm sorry."

"Don't be, we have our fair share of stubbornness and guilt as well, and you had all the right to feel as you did. Still, I can see that something else is troubling you." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I would've killed him." He said, almost in a whisper. "Twice."

"What? Who?" Glynda asked, trying to make eye contact.

"Cardin." He said as if it was obvious. "Today I almost burned him, and some weeks before that I almost..." He took a deep breath. "Cardin overheard my conversation with Blake, when I told her part of the truth. He tried to extort me and I snapped, I was so stressed with Katherine's calls and everything and then I... somehow forced my will over his, I basically tortured him until the fabric of his mind was close to falling apart. I could feel it, and then I threatened him into not telling a soul. I can't really be mad at you two, because you did what you had to protect me. Katherine manipulated and lied to me, but I was close to doing the same, or worst."

"As your teacher, I can't support what you did. I would probably assign you detentions and talk to the headmaster about you being expelled. Mr. Winchester would suffer the same, but still..." It was her turn to take a deep breath. "As your mother I will always be here to support you. But I have to ask, would you do it again, knowing the full extent of your actions?"

"Not trying to kill." He answered truthfully. The powers were dangerous, but he wouldn't discard them.

"Then you still have a heart, you still care. I won't lie to you and say that you possibly won't have to kill someday. As hunters and huntresses we defend humanity from the world's biggest threats, but we forget that the worst of them can be the men itself. I just hope that if you have to, someday, it'll be for a noble cause and not for petty things such as revenge." Jaune let her words sink in, but she wasn't done. "You now the key to control almost any power, any semblance in the world?"

"Never let your emotions overpower you." He answered back, remembering Katherine's words. Glynda shook her head.

"Emotions are good. They give you strength, they give you a reason to fight. But what you said it's also truthful. The secret is to achieve balance." Glynda got up from her chair. "You're strong, clever and caring for the people around you. You're going to go far."

"Thanks for the talk, mom." He slipped. She flinched at the word, and at the ease with which he used it. It was a good start, a great one.

"You're welcome." She headed towards the door. "Also, you got detention with Doctor Oobleck for a month." Jaune groaned at the mere thought.

"Why..." His mother smiled.

"I can't really go easy on you, can I?" She crossed her arms. "But if you wish, I could reassign your detention to Professor Port..."

"NO! Oobleck is fine, thank you."

"If you insist." She said jokingly before assuming a more serious, yet motherly tone. "Don't stretch yourself too much. You're not fighting for a week." He sighed.

"Yes, ma'am." As soon as she stepped out of the room, his teammates came in to see him.

"John! What happened? Are you in trouble?" Ruby asked him.

"Detention with Oobleck for a month, but I guess it could be worse." He said, and they visibly relaxed. "Where are the others?"

"Nora was hungry." Ruby answered as if it explained everything.

"Oh. Aren't you guys hungry as well? You've been waiting for me to wake up for what, three hours?"

"Seven." Blake answered. "But don't worry, we took turns to grab us lunch."

"Are you going to be released today?" Weiss asked.

"I honestly don't know, with all that happened, no doctor came here to see me." He said, one eyebrow raised. "Isn't that the first thing we should have done?"

"I'll go find your doctor!" Ruby said before bursting out of the room at full speed. Jaune looked at Blake.

"Are they okay? Team CRDL, I mean." Blake gave him a reassuring smile, but Weiss was the one who answered him.

"They arrived here with some minor burns, but their auras took most of the damage and started recovering as soon as they were brought here. They are being released today." She said with little to no emotion. "I heard they're getting detention with Professor Port, but I don't know for how long."

"Well, they deserved it." Blake added. "If they weren't such childish this wouldn't have happened."

"Or if I didn't went full berserk on them." They glared at him, and he understood that it was a lost cause. "Alright, I'll stop. I..." The door opened, revealing Ruby and a female he could only assume it was his doctor.

"I'm doctor le Fay, resident aura expert." He shook her hand, taking a good look at her. Her black, silky hair tied in a ponytail, her skin as pale as moonlight and her eyes looked like amethysts, the only other tinge of colour in her face was her blood-red lipstick. Her features are sharp, yet very endearing. "You suffered what we like to call an Aura Exhaustion. You forced your body so much that your own aura couldn't keep up. It shut down, and took you out with it. Several Huntsman fell due to it during battle. You were lucky to have your teammates around."

"I know." He sighed. "When will I be able to go?"

"Well, it is getting late. It would be for the best if you spent the night here under observation. Your aura is already recovering, if nothing changes you might be able to attend classes tomorrow." She said while checking his heartbeat. "Now, say your goodbyes. The visitation time was over half an hour ago, and I believe your curfew is soon to start. If everything goes accordingly, you'll have breakfast together tomorrow."

"Right, of course. Thank you, doctor le Fay." Weiss said, as cordial as ever. "Can you give us give more minutes?"

"Of course. I'll be outside." The doctor said as she left the room. Weiss made sure the door was properly closed before walking towards Jayne's bedside.

"What were you talking about? I could see past your tone. Katherine... Is everything alright between the two of you?" She asked, and by the glare Blake gave him, he'd better answer truthfully.

"We discussed some family matters. We are okay now. There was some tension but is over now. I'd give you all details, but I'm afraid It would be too much information for five minutes." They tensed but seemed to understand. "However... Blake can give you some information."

"John, are you sure?" She asked.

"You have my permission to tell them everything I told you."

"Okay, get well! See you tomorrow, bye!" Ruby said, using her semblance to quickly hug him and drag Blake out of the room.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed, receiving a silencing glare from doctor le Fay made her calm down. "Sorry... Well, I have to go. I hope you get well." She bowed her head down and walked calmly towards the door, but if the sound os cackling heels were something to go by, she was probably outside the building by now. The female doctor grabbed the handle of the open door.

"You've got some weird teammates, Mr. Beauregard." She said, before closing the door and leaving him alone with his thoughts.

 _Thoughts..._

Jaune didn't think he would be receiving any visitors during the next morning, so he could honestly tell he was surprised to see not only his mother, but also the headmaster himself. Luckily by the time he was awake and properly dressed, the only thing keeping him to go were his release papers, yet to be signed.

"Professor Ozpin, I didn't think I would see you so soon." He said.

"But you did request a talk with me." Ozpin said, ignoring Glynda's glare by his side.

"I..." He stopped talking, as Vladimir's voice echoed inside his head. "I'm supposed to tell you that... Do I really? This sounds like something straight out from a superhero movie." He whispered the last part to himself before sighing. "We are the sword and shield, mind and soul. We are the ones who shape and destroy. Like the seasons we change, but our circle remains the same. We are brave, we are selfless, we are kind, we are wise, but most of all, we are free. Children of light and darkness, rise." Jaune finished, frowning at "his" own words. "I hope this made more sense to you than it did to me." He said, only now looking at Ozpin, whose eyes were slightly wider and whose lips were curling up in a small smile. Glynda had a mixed expression of pride, confusion and mostly worry. Ozpin cleared his throat, claiming their attention.

"They were very enlightening." He said, pausing to approach the boy. He stood a foot from him and bowed his head lightly, before shaking Jaune's hand. "It's an honor to properly meet you, Apprentice Arc."

* * *

 **Katherine quotes Emma Frost twice in this chapter. Can you guess where?**

 **Also, Oscar AKA Farmboi reference. You know where.**

 **Next chapter: March 4th.**


	9. Chapter 8: Crestfallen

**I'm a week late, I know. Mainly because I couldn't get things done during Carnival, too much noise for my liking. Ugh... I hate it. The truth is, I had this chapter done by Thursday but I decided to wait until today so... yeah. I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, but I ended up liking it. I hope you guys share my view.**

 **acdc827 (chapter 8): Yay! You got one of them. That's one of my favorite quotes from her.**

* * *

"Or would you rather be called Mr. Beauregard?" Ozpin continued, Jaune's hand firmly pressed against his.

"Beauregard, for now." The boy answered, receiving a nod from the headmaster. The professor released his hand.

"Very well. First of all, everything discussed within this wards…" He gestured to Glynda, who was emitting a purplish glow from her riding crop. "… will be kept under secrecy, are we clear?"

"Yes, of course. You have my word." Jaune said calmly.

"You seem very comfortable with this situation. I suppose you're aware of your situation?" Ozpin asked Jaune, who slowly nodded.

"I know about the Circle, but not much. I know it's purpose, to protect the world and keep powerful beings such as the Maidens and... myself safe. I know about my potential, my powers... I am the current Apprentice, headmaster."

"Are you aware of your responsibilities? One day, it'll be your duty to protect Remnant. Do you accept your burden?" Ozpin locked his eyes with Jaune's. The headmaster was eager for a positive answer but hid it well.

"I would rather not, but I can't see a choice in the immediate future. I already am the Apprentice, so I guess that's beyond my control. I guess, headmaster, your question should be if I'll allow you to use me as your weapon or not." The headmaster raised an eyebrow and Glynda hid a smirk.

"A bold choice of words. If there were any doubts about you being taught by Katherine, they are now obliterated." Ozpin said, clearing his throat.

"I may not have agreed with all of her teaching methods, but there's no way of denying that she's an excellent teacher." Jaune said, not unfazed. "I wouldn't be a fool to make the Circle my enemy, but I'm not ready. I know I'll have to, someday, but there's too much on my shoulders. First my legacy and now this? I don't know if Destiny is playing with me, or trying to aid me." He took a deep breath. "I will not be someone's tool, but that doesn't mean we can't be allies. I know my responsibilities but gladly were in times of peace. If..." He winced. "When this changes, we'll talk about my duties again, and I'll be the guardian you need me to be."

"Very well." Ozpin said, satisfied with the boy's answer. "I hope then, for our sake, that the time we need you is due many years to come. There are some people I have to introduce you to in the meantime, however."

"Sounds reasonable. Am I free to go?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, we ran into Morgan on our way here. You're free to go." Glynda said with a smile.

"Morgan?" Jaune asked, not recognizing the name.

"Morgan le Fay, Beacon's aura expert." Ozpin clarified.

"Oh." Jaune looked at his scroll. If he ran, he could still catch up with his team. "Well, if you need me, you know where to find me. I'm afraid I have three worried teammates to reassure."

"Of course. Have a nice day, Mr. Beauregard." Ozpin said, turning on his heels and exiting the room, being followed by Glynda a few seconds later. The metaphorical weight on his shoulders felt heavier, but he couldn't spare time. He had a team to meet.

Meet...

Jaune met with his team halfway to the cafeteria. They were happy to see him up, but he noticed how Ruby and Weiss seemed more worried, and perhaps a bit protective of him. If Ruby's hug was anything to go by, they didn't take what Blake said well.

"You're with us now." Ruby said softly, still firmly hugged to him. "If she even tries to do this to you again I'll..."

"I know you're angry, but she meant well." He said calmly, albeit surprised with how determined and threatening she sounded like. "Also, she apologized for it more than once. I understand why she did it more clearly now."

"Did she? Or did she just brainwash you again?! John, do you remember me?! Do you remember my name?!" Ruby was dramatically throwing her arms at the sky and making action figure poses. He made an effort to keep a straight face. Weiss sighed and Blake was amused by the sight.

"Of course." He said, grabbing her shoulders. "You're Sapphire Fire, right?" He said jokingly as Ruby's eyes widened.

"Oh no! Our leader is compromised! Weiss, do something!" They looked at the white haired girl, who was pinching the bridge of her nose and mentally counting to ten.

"John. Don't encourage her. This is not something to be taken lightly." The heiress took a deep breath, before clapping her hands once. "Well, let's go eat." The group continued their path, and at one point Weiss walked beside him and whispered loud enough for him to hear. "You do feel okay, right? There's no buzzing in your head or some kind of emptiness?"

He started laughing loudly at that point. Weiss whispered something about him being a dolt as Blake and Ruby just stood there confused. It was good to have these normal moments again, with no tension. Or, well, as normal as his team could be.

Normal...

Having classes made everything feel normal again. Having his team around was great. Craziness aside, team BWBR was closer than ever. He should be happy, and he was. But there was this voice in the back of his head, and he was not referring to Vladimir, that kept remembering him of everything he had to uphold. He had a kingdom to retrieve, a team to lead, grades to maintain and did he mention protecting the world? Oh yeah, that too. He became distracted in class and his teammates were aware of his state.

"John!" He heard Blake's voice when they were having lunch at the cafeteria. Barely a week after he got released from Beacon's medical center. He had spaced out again, having a talk with Vladimir Schnee, who had been advising and tutoring him the best he could.

"Yes, Blake?" He answered back.

"You did it again. You spaced out. I called you twice before you heard me." She said, making him feel guilty.

"Sorry. I was just lost in thought." He apologized and waited for her to continue talking.

"You've been acting like this all week." Weiss said before Blake could.

"Even when we train, too. We had to basically train by ourselves this week." Ruby added.

"I have a lot going on in my head lately. I thought you guys would understand why." He said with a tired sigh.

"Then explain to us." Blake said with no hesitation, causing him to look at her, so did Weiss and Ruby. "We're your team, we trust you. And is clear that you trust us too. And even if you can't tell us what's going on, tell us what we can do to help."

"We could go to Vale during the weekend..." Weiss said. "I was talking about it with Ruby yesterday, the preparations for the festival are starting. I think it would help to distract you from whatever you've been thinking about so much."

"I think it is a great idea! We never went to Vale together, as a whole team. It would be awesome!" Ruby said excitedly, and Jaune couldn't help but smile.

"I agree. It sounds nice." Blake said, looking at him. "What do you think?"

"Well, since you all want to go and I have a feeling you would drag me along even if I said no, okay. We'll have some team bonding time this weekend." He said, actually glad for them to suggest the outing. He needed to clear his head a little. Plus, extra team bonding time wouldn't hurt, right?

Wrong...

He was so wrong. Weiss dragged them into the docks, so she could spy on the exchange students. So much for some team time.

"You can't prove that!" Weiss said, as Blake just said what was in his head. Ruby giggled, but her laugh soon died as she saw the store she had saved a few months ago. The shop was once more a crime scene, and the group of students approached the area.

"Whoa. What happened here?" Ruby asked the nearest detective.

"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." He walked over to his partner.

"That's terrible." Jaune said. The group was heading back when they heard the conversation between the officers.

"They left all the money again." The first one said.

"Yeah, just doesn't make a lot of sense. Who needs that much Dust?"

"I don't know, an army?"

"You think it could be the White Fang?" Jaune's eyes widened as his body tensed.

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."

"Humph! The White Fang." Weiss crossed her arms. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

"What's your problem?" Blake asked.

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." She answered.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake crossed her arms, things were getting serious. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"Then they're very misguided!" Jaune frowned.

"Then how about Arkend?" He asked her, Blake stood silent for a couple of seconds before formulating her answered.

"You don't know what happened there, for all we know, they could be humans wearing White Fang masks! I didn't think you of all people would believe they're a bunch of psychopaths!" He was about to answer that he knew very well what happened there, but Ruby decided to intervene.

"Well, I don't think they did it." The little reaper said. "The police never caught that Torchwick guy, and he tried to rob this place once."

"Thank you, Ruby! Plus, why would they rob a store in mid-Vale?" Blake rhetorically asked. Jaune had to concede that it didn't seem likely they were responsible.

"Humph! Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus just know how to kill, cheat and steal!" Weiss huffed, crossing her arms.

"That's not necessarily true." Jaune said while looking discreetly at Blake.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" They heard someone scream before seeing a blonde monkey-Faunus guy running from the same officers they had seen at the dust store.

"And there goes our competition." Ruby said.

"Quick, we have to observe him!" Weiss said, running towards the altercation. Ruby went right behind her. Jaune waited for Blake, who was wearing a confused and surprised expression before both ran to meet their teammates. When they arrived there, they heard a collision. Weiss had collided with a redheaded girl. Jaune held a hand out for Weiss to grab.

"Thank you, John." The girl said, dusting herself.

"Uhh... Weiss?" The heiress turned her attention to Ruby, who pointed to the other girl, still on the floor.

"Salutations!" The strange girl said.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Weiss asked the girl, who nodded happily.

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking."

"Do you want to get up?" Jaune asked, a little confused.

"Yes!" She said after a moment. She quickly got up. "My name is Penny! Is a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Ruby!" The red reaper said, introducing herself.

"I'm Weiss, sorry again for running into you." Weiss said with a quick bow.

"Blake." The raven haired girl crossed her arms.

"I'm John."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny said once again.

"You... already said that." Weiss said. Penny thought about it for a couple seconds before speaking.

"So I did!."

"Well, it was nice meeting you! Take care, friend!" Ruby said as we waved goodbyes and walked away.

"That was a thing." Jaune said, scratching the back of his head.

"I know... I'm so embarrassed." Weiss sighed. "What a weird girl."

"What did you call me?" Penny said, approaching them from the front. Weiss was confused on how did she get there that fast, so Jaune had to speak in her place.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure she didn't mean..."

"Not her, her!" She clarified, walking towards Ruby, who was now confused. "You called me friend! Am I really your friend?" Ruby looked at her team for support and nearly winced as Weiss and Blake gestured her to say no. Jaune was in the middle, clearly amused. Their eyes met and he shrugged.

"Um... Sure! Why not?" She finally answered. Blake sighed loudly and Weiss nearly feel to the floor as the redhead girl freaked out about her new friend.

"So... Why are you here at Vale?" Jaune asked, trying to divert her attention.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament!" Penny said proudly.

"Really? Forgive me, but you hardly look like you are capable of standing still." Weiss said.

"Says the girl who fights in heels." Jaune muttered, receiving a slap on his shoulder and a shush.

"I'm combat ready!" Penny said, making a salute.

"Wait a minute." Weiss grabs Peny by her shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?"

"The who...?" Penny asked. Weiss seemed about to scream.

"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" She exclaimed, causing Jaune and Ruby to wince.

"Why do you keep saying that?!" Blake snapped, making everyone look at her. "Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"But he's still a criminal! He clearly entered that boat by illegal ways." Blake made a motion to argue, but Weiss kept talking. "He clearly broke the law! Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"

"You..." Things were about to get worse when Jaune stepped in between the two of them.

"Okay, that's it. Weiss, Blake is right to say that you can't judge him like that. It's the same thing as saying that because some humans are murderers and thieves, all the species is the same." Blake seemed to calm down, but it was until he addressed her. "Blake, I see where you come from, but Weiss was right, he broke the law. She judged him prematurely, but he didn't give us reasons to think differently. He ran from the police. If he is a Huntsman in training, he could've shown his transcripts and he wouldn't be charged by taking the ship. It's just really incriminating."

"But even if that's true, you can't just associate this with the White Fang!" Blake retorted.

"I've never said..." Jaune was interrupted by Weiss.

"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a bunch of criminals!" Blake frowned and started walking away.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" She exclaimed. Jaune sighed as Weiss followed Blake with strong steps.

"We should probably head back..." He said to Ruby, who nodded.

"So much for a walk to clear our heads, huh?" She said sadly. They said their goodbyes to Penny once again, under the promise to hang out again before the tournament and tried to keep the pace of their teammates, who were still arguing.

"This is going to be a long walk..." He said, just wanting to go back to his bed.

Bed...

"You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you?" Weiss exclaimed, getting up from her bed. "The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

"There's no such thing as pure evil!" Blake retorted, getting up as well.

"Then how you justify the executions! The raids! Arkend?!" Weiss basically screamed. Jaune curled his hands into fists.

"It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" She said though she hesitated after Weiss talked about Arkend.

"Don't say that." Jaune said, finally speaking since they arrived. "It doesn't justify what they did there. They had a choice, still, they not only caused a massacre but also did so backstabbing the only kingdom that supported them! They killed men, women, and children who had welcomed them with opened arms!"

"You don't know if..."

"I was there!" He roared in anger, silencing her and also Ruby and Weiss, who didn't even dared to breathe. "It was my kingdom! My family! Friends! Everyone I loved died in order to protect me from them! Stop saying that it could be people under disguise because you know that it is a lie!" He said, his voice cracking as he spoke. He sat down on the desk chair as the others waited for him to continue. After he calmed down, he spoke. "Why do you think Katherine took such desperate measures? There was so much blood... After my... After the King's murder, hell broke loose. There were gunshots coming from everywhere, piercing screams filling the night. I remember the blood on the streets, the explosions coming from the harbor. Katherine said it was attacked by an uncategorized species of aquatic Grimm. There was Nevermore raining death from the sky..." He closed his eyes. "I lost everything, everyone. Because of them. You may say whatever you want about the White Fang, but you don't have the right to try to justify what they did at Arkend as some kind of situation where they had no choice but to retaliate! Especially there, where they were accepted and safe!"

"John..." Ruby reached for his arm, her face tainted by tears. Weiss felt her knees weakening as she sat on her bed again. Her eyes were widened and watery, but no tears fell. Blake felt the worst, her breathing was faster and her chest tightened.

"See." Weiss broke the silence after a few seconds. Her voice was calm and collected. "The White Fang brings nothing but pain. Do you want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" She curled her hands into fists. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted on his back for as long as I can remember. My sister lost her teammate at Arkend: Johanna Arc. She was her partner and leader. She knew the family very well. They had a boy that would be the same age as us today. They never found his body. My father was furious and would continue to be every day. Mother was devastated." She looked down. "Things only got worse after Arkend. I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. That made for a very difficult childhood." She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see Jaune by her side.

"Weiss, I'm..." He began to say, but she didn't let him talk.

"No!" She stood up and walked towards Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?! It's because they're a bunch of liars, traitors, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake retorted, realization quickly filling her as she saw the surprised faces of Weiss and Ruby and the broken look on her partner's eyes that made her heart stop. "I... I..." Before they could react she ran and didn't look back, tears leaving her eyes and quickly being dried by the cold wind.

He was the first to react. Fighting the urge to drop to his knees, he ordered himself to follow her. He ran through the doorway at full speed, leaving Weiss and Ruby behind. He took the stairs, nearly bumping into a very confused Yang and Pyrrha.

"John, is Blake okay? We heard some screaming while we were downstairs..." Yang said, but he ignored her.

"No time! Gotta find Blake!" He said, going faster.

"I think she went outside!" He heard Pyrrha screaming out of his field of view. With a renewed focus, he ran.

Ran...

Blake ran. She knew that her secret would come out eventually, but after all, they had said... The White Fang caused so much pain to them. She had been expecting that from Weiss, but never from her partner. His words cut through her like a knife. She'd lost him now. He would never forgive her, not after all he's been through, after everything he lost. And the worst part was that she couldn't blame him. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to believe. That had been the turning point of the White Fang. That was when her parents left, and she'd called them cowards. When Adam took her under his wing when she was trained to trick, sneak and kill. She left her family, she left Adam and now her team. Three more people she disappointed, three more people she had to left behind. She was now in the courtyard and stood in front of the big statue in memory of fallen huntsmen. She took a deep breath before taking her bow off, wiping off a lonely year.

"Blake." She froze in place, recognizing the voice immediately. She didn't dare to look back, not because she was afraid, but because she couldn't bear to see his broken eyes again.

"Don't." She said, hearing his footsteps coming closer. "Just let me be. I... you was right and I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me. You suffered so much because of my people, yet you still treat us as equals and you trusted me. You were betrayed so many times and now I've... I-I'm sorry. You'll never see me again, I promise." She paused for a second before speaking again. "Tell them I'm sorry."

She made a motion to run but was wrapped by two strong arms, she tensed immediately. His grip was strong, but not painful. It was tender and almost longing. He pressed his head against her back, and she no longer felt the urge to escape. She could easily leave a shadow clone behind her and run, but she couldn't hurt him again.

"I don't want you to leave. I... I won't lie to you and say that I'm completely okay with your past. It was in your past, right?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I left them before..."

"That's enough for me. I-I can't blame you for my family's death. I doubt you could even hold a weapon properly when it happened to even be there. You're not the reason they're dead, you're not the reason why the White Fang did what they did to Arkend. I... You're important to me, Blake. You're my partner and my best friend here." He paused. "Don't tell Ruby I've said that." She chuckled weakly for the first time. It was brief, but it seemed to clear part of the tension away. "Seeing you go would hurt me more than accepting your past. So please, stay." He hugged her tightly. He sounded so desperate that she almost broke down. Almost. In return, she let herself relax in his arms.

"I would rather if you hated me." She admitted. "I would be prepared for that, I'd understand." She smiled. "Instead you come here, all comprehensive and supportive, and you forgive me without even knowing about what I did in my past." She sighed softly. "Always a mystery with you, huh?"

"It's a part of my charm, yes." He said, absent-mindedly petting her head and ears. He hesitated for a moment, but her silence was enough for him to continue. They stood like that for some time before she broke the silence.

"I don't deserve your friendship. I don't deserve your trust..." Her voice trailed off.

"Blake..." He was ready to argue when she spun around and pressed her hand against his mouth.

"But I'll do my best to be worthy of it." She said truthfully. He blinked twice before bursting into laughter. "What?!" Blake asked, partially offended.

"That was such a cliché. Did you read that in one of your smut books?" Blake blushed and smacked him in the arm.

"What?! No! Ugh... You prat!" He laughed more, and her mouth betrayed her into smiling.

"Watch out, your Weiss is showing." He said jokingly, before assuming a more serious tone. "Are you going to spend the night at Vale?"

"Yeah, I'll probably sleep in a motel or something, at least for tonight. I need time to cool off and so does Weiss." She said, shrugging. It wouldn't be the first time she'd have to fend for herself.

"I'd offer you my mother's house at Vale, but Katherine is there and, well..."

"Not a good idea, but thanks." She finished.

"Take your weapon with you." He sighed. "And for the love of Oum, be safe."

"I can take care of myself." She said, huffing. He had sounded just like Adam when he was worried about her.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about you." She hid her blush, but it was dark and he didn't notice. "Do you have any lien on you?"

"Enough for renting a room." He then reached for his wallet, but she stopped him. "What, no!"

"For food and emergencies." He said, ignoring her protests. "You can pay me back later if you want to." By the look on his face she knew he wouldn't give in, so she accepted grudgingly. "We'll probably search for you tomorrow. If you get in trouble, call me."

"I will." She said. "You should head back, the others are probably worried."

"Right." He made a motion to leave but stopped. "Blake."

"Yes?"

"You look prettier without your bow." He said with a smile, leaving before he could see her reaction. He was long gone before she heard another voice.

"He's right, you know. You do look better without your bow."

* * *

 **Next chapter: March 25.**


	10. Chapter 9: Black and White

**Hello, everyone! One more chapter ready to go. I was quite satisfied with this one. I really hope you guys like it.**

 **Jack Lycan (chapter 9): Yup. But let's be real, Sun usually does mess up XD.**

* * *

Jaune finished dressing and walked out of the bathroom. Ruby and Weiss were up and ready to go.

"Do you have any idea on where we should start?" Ruby asked him, nervously playing with her fingers.

"What about the police station?" Weiss asked, earning a glare from Ruby and a sigh from Jaune. "What?" She asked after seeing their reactions.

"We need to talk to her first and let her explain herself. I'm sure..."

"After everything it happened? She ran! You tried to follow her and she didn't stop." He resisted the urge to wince at his little lie. "Innocents never run!"

"That's not necessarily true. She was scared, confused, and hurt. She saw us, her teammates and friends, react negatively, assumed the worse and ran. And if this is how you react, I would've too." The heiress crossed her arms and huffed. "At least let Blake explain herself before hating her." Weiss didn't answer, so he turned to Ruby and gestured to the door. Ruby gave a sad look towards her partner before leaving with him. They were greeted by the sight of Yang.

"Hey..." She said, scratching the back of her head. "Are you guys going to find Blake?"

"We have to," Ruby answered before Jaune could.

"Seeing as I'm only talking to you two, I'll assume that Weiss is still mad?" She asked.

"Putting it lightly, yeah." He answered. "Things got heated last night."

"What exactly happened? We overheard some words about the White F..."

"Not our tale to tell." He said, cutting her off. "Ruby and I are going to Vale. Can you keep an eye out for Weiss while we're gone?" Before Yang could answer, the door to their room opened once more. Weiss walked out with a cool facade.

"That won't be necessary." She said, attaching Myrtenaster to her hip. "I'll go with you. If anything, it'll prove that I'm right." She didn't wait for them to answer and strode down the corridor.

"Well, at least she's going with us. It's a progress." He said with a sigh. "See you later, Yang."

"See ya!" She answered back, briefly waving her hand. "Good luck with all of that."

"Thanks." He said, already walking towards the exit. Ruby followed by his side. "It's gonna be a long day, isn't it?" Ruby snorts, giving him his answer. "I figured as much." Stepping out of the building, they faced Weiss once more. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping her foot.

A long day indeed.

 _Long..._

After a long night at a simple motel, Blake met Sun at a local café.

"So." She said after taking a sip of tea. "How much did you heard yesterday?"

"A few things. Mostly about the guy telling you to take care and being all protective of you." He pauses, sipping his coffee. "Is he your boyfriend or something? You two seem close."

"He's my partner." She said, albeit rather quickly. She lifted her teacup, the swirling vapor partially hiding her blush. "And probably my best friend at Beacon."

"I get it. My partner and I are awful close too. You should have seen the lecture he gave me when I told him I was going to Beacon earlier for the festival." He smiled to himself, remembering the conversation. "My ears are still hurt." He joked. "Sometimes I wonder if all partners are like that."

"We're supposed to take care of each other," Blake said, hiding a small smile. He thought of Weiss and Ruby, Ren and Nora, and even Yang and Pyrrha. It could be a coincidence, but every pairing had someone who was a little bit more level- headed. "But I think all partners are like that to some extent." She sipped her tea again. "Did you heard anything else?"

"I don't know. Maybe something about the White Fang. I didn't catch much if that's what your asking." He said. Blake closed her eyes and wondered if it was worth telling him what happened. He knew part of the story already, but she wasn't one to tell her personal life to strangers. Against every single fiber if her body, she spoke.

"Well, I suppose you would find out sooner or later..."

 _Later..._

"Blake! Where are you?!" Ruby screamed once more, getting no response once more. "We've been looking for her all day and nothing!"

"Don't worry Rubes, we'll find her sooner or later," Jaune said.

"If she is still in the city," Weiss said, making Jaune and Ruby look at her with questionable faces. "What? She ran away, didn't she?"

"But that doesn't mean she is a criminal," Ruby said.

"But she is! She said she is a member of the White Fang!" Weiss exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"She _was_ a member of the White Fang." Jaune corrects her.

"Well..." Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute, how would you know? She never..." Her eyes widened. "You found her, didn't you? You found her and you let her go."

"She needed some time to herself." He said. "Honestly, I thought you both did. Clear your heads, think about happy things. You know, not kill each other."

"I do not need to clear my head," Weiss said, frowning.

"Sure. And birds don't need wings." Ruby said.

"And people do not need oxygen," Jaune said, making Ruby giggle and Weiss huff.

"Quiet, you two! I thought you two would at least take this seriously!" The heiress said.

"Well, I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" A familiar face said, causing the group to turn around in a very startling way.

"Penny! Where did you come from?!" Ruby said, her heart beating fast with the scare. Penny smiled and ignored her question.

"Hey, guys! What are you doing?" She asked.

"We're trying to find out a teammate, Blake," Jaune said. Penny nodded after a moment.

"Oh! You mean the Faunus girl." The team shared a surprised look between themselves as if wondering if it was that obvious.

"How did you know?" Weiss asked with a curious expression.

"Well, the cat ears," Penny said pointing to her own head as a reference. Not noticing their reactions, she continued. "Anyway, why are you guys after her? Did she got lost?"

"Not exactly. Well..." Ruby scratched the back of her head. "There was a fight yesterday and she ran." Penny walked towards Ruby and shook the girl's shoulders lightly.

"That's terrible!" Penny said. "Well, don't worry Ruby, my friend. I won't rest until we find your teammate." She said firmly, tightening her grip on Ruby's shoulder.

"Great! We can use all the help we can get, right guys?" She asked her teammates. Jaune held Weiss by her arm firmly enough so she didn't run, but was careful not to hurt her. The heiress, otherwise, wasn't exactly satisfied with having to stay. Jaune sighed.

"Sure. How about we split up? That way we can cover more ground. I'll go with Weiss and you stick with Penny if that's okay." He said, waiting for their approval. Weiss pondered the possibility and nodded, releasing her arm from his grip.

"It's okay by me," Ruby said. "What do you think, Penny?

"It sounds like the logic thing to do. I'll accompany you, Ruby." The ginger said.

"Great. Call if you find anything and we'll do the same." Jaune says as he glanced at his scroll's clock. "We meet each other at the Bullheads in five hours."

"Okay! Good luck!" Ruby said excitedly as she and Penny walked down the street. Jaune looked at Weiss disapprovingly.

"Really, you were going to slip away? Let's talk about being a hypocrite." He said, earning a glare and a small blush from the heiress.

"It's different!" She sighed. "You know what, let's just focus on finding Blake. There's no point in fighting you now." Jaune rolled his eyes and luckily she didn't notice. He knew she was processing a lot of things so he didn't say anything in return and just walked. He would occasionally glance at his scroll, hoping for a message from Blake. After thirty minutes, Weiss broke the silence.

"How can you forgive her that easily?" She asked, making his eyes widen in surprise.

"I couldn't simply forget everything we've been through just because of something that's in her past. She's my friend, my partner, the same Blake I trust and would die for, in the way I would for you and Ruby. A secret doesn't change that, her past doesn't change that. We all have secrets, we all have something that we hate about our past or even ourselves." He paused, looking at Weiss, who instinctively brought her hand to her face as if trying to hide her scar. "I just chose not to judge her by her ghosts when I have so many of my own. It's only fair, don't you think?" He didn't expect an answer, and she was too lost in her thought to give him an answer.

 _Answer..._

"So, what's the plan now?" Sun asked Blake. For once, she didn't know if she had an answer. After contemplating for a few seconds, she looked him in the eye.

"I still don't think the White Fang is behind this robberies. They never needed that much Dust before."

"But... What if they did?" Blake raised an eyebrow questionably. "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it and not find them there! Right?"

"The only thing is, I have no idea where that would be." Blake crossed her arms.

"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas." Blake's eyes widened with interest.

"How huge?" She said, almost in a whisper.

"Huge." He said while gesturing with his arms. "Like, SDC kind of huge."

"Are you sure?" The blonde nodded, and his face twisted in confusion when she grabbed her scroll and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?" The boy asked.

"I'm calling a friend."

 _Calling..._

To say Jaune was surprised that Blake called him was putting it lightly. His surprise only equal to his worry. He didn't even hesitate when he put in a fake smile.

"Hey, are you okay?" He said, trying to ignore the way Weiss looked at him.

" _I'm fine. It's just... can you go meet me at the docks?"_ She asked. Jaune hesitated. Blake must've caught the way his breath caught up in his throat. _"You're not alone, are you?"_ She took his silence as a yes. " _Okay, never mind. Take care..."_

"Right, sure. We'll meet you there." He said, pausing for a moment. He couldn't see Blake's face, but he could feel her confusion. "Good luck to you too, Ruby." He ended the call. Weiss's interest seemed to be lost.

"What did Ruby said?" The heiress asked.

"She said she was going back to our meeting point. We sure did a lot of searching today." The heiress nodded quietly.

"Right. Sure." She said in a cold, absent voice. "You know, if you want to go after Blake so much, I won't stop you." Jaune sighed.

"Sorry. I just thought your reaction would be more... Well, you know. Explosive." The heiress huffed.

"And then you were going to slip away?" She smirked. "Let's talk about being a hypocrite." He clutched his hand over his heart.

"Ouch. You wound me." He said with a cheeky grin. Weiss sighed.

"Just go. She needs you." She said, poking him in his chest. "I'll meet up with Ruby and Penny."

"Thanks, Weiss, you're the best." He said with a genuine smile. "I'll meet you later, I promise!" He said, already running his way towards the docks. Weiss took a deep breath before turning around, heading to the opposite direction.

"You better, you dolt..."

 _You..._

"Are you sure he's coming?" Sun asked once more. They've been waiting for Jaune at the docks for half an hour.

"I think he is. He told me he was coming." " _I think"_ She completed mentally. "He wasn't alone, he might've had trouble to come here."

"Nah, it was surprisingly easy to get here, but I was far from the docks." She heard his voice and her heart stopped from the scare. There weren't many people who could be as sneaky to the point where she couldn't hear them coming. She turned around to face him.

"Don't do that!" She scolded him. "I could've mistaken you for a threat! I could've hurt you."

"But you didn't. And even if I was a thief, you would just shadow clone your way out." He said with a smile, even though his eyes were serious. "Now, who's your friend?"

"Oh, hey dude! Nice to meet you! Name's Sun, Sun Wukong." The monkey Faunus said with a toothy grin. "You scared the hell out of me, man!"

"Sorry. I'm Jonathan, Jonathan Beauregard, nice to meet you too. Call me John." Jaune shook hands with the boy. "So why are we here again?" Sun glanced at Blake, who sighed.

"I know I can't drag you into this unless you want to, but..." She paused, meeting his eyes. "I need your help with something."

 _Something..._

"Did something happened while I was gone?" Sun asked the partners, who were watching the docks attentively. Blake was laying down on the rooftop with Jaune sat at her left side. Sun sit down by Blake's right side.

"Not really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there." Blake said with a sigh.

"Cool." The monkey Faunus grabs two of the apples he was carrying and held out for them. "I stole you guys some food!" Blake raised an eyebrow while Jaune gave him a questioning look.

"Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?" She asked, making Sun recoil.

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Jaune winced at his choice of words and covered his face with a hand. Blake angrily glared at him. "Okay, too soon."

"Shh... quiet!" Jaune said, backing off from the edge of the building and motioning the others to do the same as a bullhead approached the area, descending in the middle of the cargo containers. It's door opened to reveal a group of black hooded people wearing Grimm masks.

"Oh no..." Blake said, closing her eyes in disbelief.

"Is that them?" Sun asked, getting a nod from Blake. Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting way. They saw one of the armed men order the others around. "You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?"

"No." She sighed sadly, reaching for Jaune's hand on her shoulder and squeezing it back. "I think deep down I knew. It's just... I didn't want to be right." Suddenly there's a new voice, higher than the others, that grabs their attention.

"Hey! What's the hold-up!?" They saw a man in a white trench coat, taller than the others. Orange hair, bowler hat. They recognized the man instantly. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" Blake got up with fierce determination, unsheathing the katana of Gambol Shroud.

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially not one like that. She walks towards the edge. Jaune grabs her hand, but she vanishes in a black blur. Both boys bit back a curse as Blake fell down silently, making her way through the containers.

"What do we do now?!" Sun whispered, alarmed. Jaune looked around before coming up with something.

"How good are your climbing skills?" He asked.

"Dude." He pointed to himself and at his tail. Jaune huffed.

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to assume," Sun smirked briefly. "Can you climb the containers and follow her? I'll go around and drop next to the sea."

"I sure can. Why the sea?" It was Jaune's turn to smirk.

"Things are going to get heated and when they do I'll make sure they cool down if you know what I mean." He said.

"I don't." They turned around just in time to see Blake appearing behind Torchwick, a blade in his throat. Weapons were drawn and pointed towards her. "Shoot. Time to go."

"Good luck." With a quick nod, they parted ways. Jaune made his way through the rooftops and containers, his eyes focused on Blake. She took her bow off and said a few words. The White Fang members lowered their weapons momentarily. Jaune was next to the ocean now, and when he heard the explosion coming from the center of the docks, followed by the arrival of two Bullheads, he nearly lost it. He jumped down from his hiding spot, relief filling his face when he saw Blake rolling out of the way of Torchwick's attacks. He saw Sun leaping into the fray, and turned to the ocean. "Yue, I need your assistance."

The water trembled and rose, taking a female shape. Unlike Theodore, his first golem, Yue was more polished. Her entire form was made of water, falling down like a cascade, making she look like she was wearing a long dress. Her face, arms, and hands kept oscillating between water and ice, showing her sharp features literally carved in ice before melting into water. Her hair floated around her, pushing and pulling like waves. Her eyes glowed bright blue. She hissed a few words that only Jaune could understand.

"I know, but you know how hard it is to find enough water to form you?" Another hiss, this time sounding more like a huff. "Sorry, okay? I missed you too. My friends are in danger. I need you to fill this place with water and then do your thing." Yue nodded, raising her arms as a big wave answered her call. She raised her hands down and the wave fell. Water reached a few inches above his ankles He drew his sword and shield and ran into the fray as fast as he normally would since Yue created a path exclusively for him. Sun was surprised when he arrived, followed by a water woman of ten feet tall.

"Dude! I didn't think you would literally do that!" He said, ducking a slash and counterattacking with a series of powerful blows from his staff. Jaune blocked a gunshot with his shield and blocked a series of attacks from some of the grunts while Yue slashed them with long nail-like claws made of ice. Blake leaped from behind them, rushing towards Torchwick. Sun followed her, leaving Jaune and Yue to deal with the rest of the grunts. They were hardly a challenge, but they had strength in numbers. Sun and Blake were having some trouble of their own, so he turned to Yue.

"Clear me a path!" With a quick motion of an arm, she did as he ordered. He then jumped right over Sun, pumping aura on his legs, and managed to bash his shield on Torchwick's chest, quickly rolling back as Blake dashed towards the criminal, delivering series of slashes once his guard was down. Then she backed up, allowing Torchwick to regain his balance and shoot upwards. They heard the sound of metal breaking and looked up in time to see a big container of Dust falling on their heads. They ducked, Sun ending right in front of Torchwick. Before the criminal could shoot, they heard a new voice.

"Hey!" Sun used the distraction to leap out of the way. Jaune, Blake, and Torchwick recognized the voice and the scythe. "Get away from our teammates!" Ruby said from a rooftop, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action. Weiss stood by her side, Myrtenaster in hand. Penny stood behind them with a worried expression.

"Oh, hey Red. Isn't it past your bedtime? And you brought a Schnee with you? Must be my lucky day." Jaune readied his sword and shield.

"As if we would let you touch her." He snarled.

"Ruby, are these people your friends?" Penny asked, face unreadable.

"Penny, stand back!" Using her moment of distraction, Torchwick shot the ground between Ruby and Weiss, causing a little explosion that threw both girls back. Blake was momentarily shocked until she felt the air around her get heavier. The water that covered her feet was forming small waves that crashed violently. She looked at Jaune and her suspicions were confirmed, if his temporary lack of irises and pupils were anything to go by. She grabbed Sun's arm and made a motion to run.

"Move!" She said, in time to see her leader mutter some words she couldn't listen. He floated barely two feet above the ground. Ruby noticed as well because she tried to stop Penny from getting down. The redhead girl hesitated, but still got closer to the edge. Then hell broke loose.

And it came like a storm.

 _Came..._

 _Jaune's POV_

Some say the world will end in ashes. Water is often underestimated. Water gives life, but can equally claim it back so easily. Power flows through my veins, filling me with the energy that I needed to act. And when I ask for assistance, it easily came.

" _Vehemenns tempestas. More than a show of power, it will not only look menacing, but I also have the perfect incantation to link with it."_ Said a voice that I had heard before, but certainly wasn't Vladimir's since, first of all, wasn't even a male voice. _"Oh, I apologize. Vladimir deems me as someone who can be of more help in your current situation. You can call me Hama."_

" _Vehemens tempestas,"_ I repeated, my voice being the only thing heard as dark, heavy clouds, formed above the docks. Rain poured down soon after, strong enough to soak everything and everyone. Thunders also made themselves present, announcing the possibility of lightning to strike. _"With all due respect, why? I thought he was supposed to be my mentor."_ I asked mentally, uncertain of what she possessed that was lacking on my predecessor. I slowly descended towards the ground, a circle untouched by water formed around me.

" _You are fighting around water, young man. He, for once, never did that. I, however, had an affinity with the element when I wore the mantle. Many of the spells related to water and ice were of my creation. I stuck to them so often, people thought it was my actual semblance. That allowed me to live peacefully. Whether you like it or not, I'm here. And while our distraction proved itself effective, I believe something more... fierce should do the trick."_ I couldn't agree more. Many grunts had already recovered, and their backup arrived. The only thing that kept them from attacking were Yue, who never stopped fighting, and the occasional shots from Ruby, Sun, and Blake and also Weiss's dust attacks. There were also powerful beams of green lights that took down two Bullheads before they could shoot me. I could only assume Penny or Sun were the sources of that. _"A fair warning, this one will be quite draining."_

" _Syreni Cantio,"_ I said, Hama's voice merged with mine for those brief seconds. There was a piercing, melodic cry coming from apparently nowhere. Then whispered chanting. Hama told me to raise my hands and I quickly obeyed. _"Stasis."_ The water, which now was over most people's knees, calmed down. The rain stopped mid air. No sound was heard despite scared breaths and the mysterious chanting. The gunshots had stopped and I had dismissed Yue due to my stamina being drained. I would need every single part of my aura to keep myself from falling apart. Then a scream, a man was dragged into the water. The White Fang members were terrified as the chanting got louder and louder, and more of their comrades disappeared underwater.

"Don't just stand there, you imbeciles! Kill the boy!" Torchwick said, firing a shot from his cane. Before I could do a thing about the projectile coming towards me, Hama reacted. My sword and shield were basically discarded as she took control. A few movements of my hands and the water between the projectile and myself raised like a wave, freezing in place and creating a barrier. Before I could ask how she did that, Hama promptly answered me.

" _Did Vladimir explained to you the concept of elemental affinities?"_ She noticed my confusion and proceeded. " _Usually every apprentice has an affinity with an element. Spells for that element come easier and can be translated into movements rather than words. Other spells might be even nonverbal. My affinity is water, and while I'm with here I can share my power with you."_ I asked her what was my element. She twirled my body, creating a wave that wiped some enemies away. _"Certainly not water, I assure you. You're too reckless, stubborn. Usually, it's the element that comes easier for you. What was the first spell you cast?"_ I recited the words mentally, as some rock shards raised from the ground and pinned an attacker to a nearby wall. _"Earth it is."_ I felt my head becoming foggy, but I struggled to remain composed. _"It's time. Your body won't hold much longer. The following spell is my creation. It works with more than an element, and can even be used on objects and animals. Sometimes even Grimm."_ I bit back a mental curse, not being able to hold for much longer. _"Fine, I understand. Youngsters and their impatience..."_

" _Oppugno!"_ With that single word, the fight was won. The chanting turned to screaming as the water took shape of humanoid creatures that threw themselves into the criminals, dragging them down before freezing in place, trapping those under their grasp. The rain kept falling, heavier and fiercer. Torchwick could only barely manage to escape the grasp from the creatures, climbing up a building to get out of their reach. A Bullhead appeared to rescue him, but I couldn't do a thing to keep him from escaping. Hama still held control over my body and despite the aid from the creatures, many of the grunts still tried to attack me. She moved fluidly, moving my body in what looked like a dance, but at the same time using the water to pin enemies to the ground, push them back or simply knock them out. It was fascinating and exhausting, for my body isn't used to such pressure. Finally, there was no one left to fight against, and with a swift move the water retreated back to the ocean and the dark clouds dissipated. Feeling myself in control of my body again, I collapsed into my knees.

 _Knees..._

 _Normal POV_

The instant he fell to his knees, his friends leaped down there to aid him. Ruby was the first to reach him due to her speed and helped him to stand properly.

"John, what was all of that?!" Ruby asked, partially excited, but mainly scared.

"Hama..." It was all the boy could mutter about. Before Ruby could ask who or what was "Hama", the others arrived.

"Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay." Blake said, inspecting him for wounds. He could only smile weakly.

"I've been worse. Thanks, partner." The way she looked at him made him feel bad, he obviously had not been able to reassure her.

"Don't you do that again, you dolt. You could've been killed." Weiss said, though her words lacked venom and her eyes were filled with worry.

"Sorry." He looked at Weiss and Blake. "So I'm guessing everything is okay between you two?" Said girls looked to each other, unsure of what to say. "Come on, I didn't almost die for you two to be this hesitant." Both girls glared at him. "Okay, too soon. Got it." He looked at Sun and Penny, who had been left out. "And thanks to you two as well. I don't know who did that green bean of light, but that really helped."

"That wasn't me," Sun said, scratching the back of his head. "But dude, you were like, crazy! Is that your semblance?"

"Yeah, sure. A little bit of dust, also." He lied, but even he knew that he could not find a much more reasonable explanation without sounding insane or revealing his status as the Apprentice. Fortunately, they were too worried to think much about it.

"Neptune would freak out if he someday fights you." Jaune smiled since Sun had told him and Blake about his partner, who was afraid of water. "I think I would freak out if I had to fight you!" They heard sirens, indicating that someone had called the police about the explosions.

"I called them," Weiss said. "There should be an ambulance as well."

"I don't think I'll need them. Sun, would you help me? I don't think I can walk on my own." Receiving an immediate nod from the Faunus boy, they went outside as the police already entered the place and began moving the unconscious men and freeing those who were trapped in the ice, which looked like a living ice sculpture.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Ruby asked. "You suffered from aura exhaustion barely a week ago."

"She's right. At least have a doctor get you checked." Blake said, receiving support from Weiss of all people.

"Guys, I'm fine seriously..." He struggled to keep his eyes opened, and Sun felt his friend's body was about to give in. "I'm just... so tired..." Unconsciousness met him once again, but he was able to hear a few shouted words before drifting off.

"Don't you dare to do this with me again!"

 _Again..._

 _Location: Arkend. Almost five hours later. Royal study._

The study was dark, lit by a few candles and the pale moonlight from the windows. Bookshelves filled with important books, maps and tomes were symmetrically disposed against the walls. A large ebony desk was the main focus of the room, filled with important papers and documents. The study's door was knocked twice. After a moment, the black haired man looked up from the important document he was thoroughly interested in and spoke firmly.

"I thought I had ordered that no one was to disturb me." The door opened hesitantly, revealing the face of a man. A servant, clearly. One of his personal servants, and one of his favorites, though he would never admit it out loud.

"I'm aware of your request, my King. Forgive me, but there is someone wishing to speak to your majesty." Said "king" raised an eyebrow.

"At this time? What couldn't possibly wait for tomorrow?" He asked in a chilling tone.

"She was very imperative, my King." At the pronoun "she", his second eyebrow rose.

"Let her in." The servant made a reverence before making way for said woman to enter. She wore a long red dress. Dust sewed into the fabric, creating beautiful patterns. Her dark, charcoal hair contrasted perfectly with her pale complexion and fiery amber eyes.

"Sorry for the uncalled meeting, your majesty. Unfortunately, there are important matters that need to be... discussed." She glanced at the door, that was now closed. The King got up from his seat, taking the woman's hand and kissing it lightly.

"Cinder, what do I owe the honor of your lovely presence?" He asked. "Our Lady has not requested our presence, has she?"

"Of course not, dear Michael. I just acquired an information that will be of your great interest." She said sensually, pressing a hand against his hard chest. There was an object in between. He grabbed it, finding a compacted scroll. He pressed the middle button and it opened. There was a video promptly displayed, waiting to be played. He watched with attentive eyes.

"You found the Apprentice. I'm sure our Lady will be satisfied." She chuckled, pressing a hand against his cheek.

"She certainly will, but I thought you might be interested to know that our little Apprentice goes by the name of Jonathan Beauregard." His eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You found them." The man was no fool. On the following day after the massacre, years ago, he had organized a "rescue" mission on Azure lake. The lack of a bullhead on the depths of the lake had told him enough. "You actually found them!" She chuckled at his excitement, a glint of actual amusement in her eyes. "I can finally finish this." He said, his excitement mixing with a much darker intent. Suddenly the glint in his eyes was gone, he turned around, brushing her hand from his face. "But I'll never be able to get a hold on the boy as long as Ozpin is in there."

"True. However, the Vytal festival is coming up. If my plan goes accordingly, there will be nothing to hold you back for much longer." She said, somehow lifting his hopes up. She circled around him, meeting his eyes once more. "You could go to Vale as an act of diplomacy, protected by your title. You can be of help when Vale gets attacked, help the survivors." She whispered in his ear. "And when Vale falls, they will turn to your help. The main council will see this as an act of selfless altruism. They will give you the seat that was destroyed." He smiled darkly.

"Will you be by my side, then?" He asked, facing the powerful woman, inches from each other.

"A Queen of ashes is still a Queen after all." She smirked playfully.

"And what is a Queen without a King?" She rolled her eyes, much to his disappointment. She grabbed his head by his chin.

"A Queen." She answered simply. His disappointment turned into amusement, however, as she came closer. "But that can be arranged in time."

"Certainly." With a flick of her wrist, the candles lit off.

No one dared to bother them.

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 **References from Avatar, the last Airbender; Harry Potter; X-Men; Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.**

 **Next Chapter: April 8th.**


	11. Chapter 10: Waking up

**Hello, everyone! Here we are again with a new chapter. This one was a tricky one, I can assure you. Still, I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **No reviews this time, that hurts a little. Oh well, what can I do?**

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He woke up in the familiar room. The white ceiling greeting him once again. It was daytime, he'd probably passed out and was taken to Beacon's infirmary. He remembered the events of past night, or at least he hoped they occurred last night. The door was open, revealing the sight of Morgan le Fay, Beacon's aura expert. She noticed his state of consciousness and promptly went to his bedside after sending a quick message via scroll. She checked his heartbeats. Satisfied with the results, she then proceeded to take his pressure.

"You know, we really need to stop meeting like this, mister Beauregard. I'm afraid you're becoming a regular." She said, an eyebrow raised. The boy had the decency to look guilty.

"What can I say? I love this place." He paused. "How long this time?"

"You've slept for nearly fifteen hours. The impact on your aura wasn't as nearly as severe as last time, though. You didn't enter into a comatose state, you just passed out from exhaustion. However, we felt the need to put you here under watch, so to speak. I didn't know what to expect, but when I saw the display of power you performed and how long you were able to maintain it…" She pressed the stethoscope near his ribcage and pressed a hand against a specific place on his back. "Breathe. Tell me if it hurts." She kept making pressure on different points his back, watching attentively for physical reactions of pain or discomfort. "My colleagues and I were certainly surprised that your aura didn't collapse. You've shown a great control of your semblance. Not many can claim the same." Jaune could only nod to her remark, but then something seemed to bother him.

"Wait, you said you saw my display of power? How?" He asked, genuinely interested in knowing how. He was supposed to keep a low profile. If his fight got leaked he'd be in deep trouble.

"Most security cameras were shut down during the White Fang's little raid on the docks. However, you and your friends distracted them long enough for them to reboot. To put it simply, the police had it, but then again it's not like their database is an impenetrable fortress. It got hacked, the video got leaked. It's short, less than three minutes, but more than enough to cause an impression." She said, taking a few notes on her tablet. "Don't worry though, they caught your good angles." She said jokingly. "The headmaster wants to see you. I sent a message to him. He's already on his way. Just… thought I'd give you a head start." She turned around, ready to leave.

"Wait!" He said, she paused, looking back. Amethysts met sapphires. "Can you please let my team know that I'm awake?" She smiled briefly and nodded.

"Of course. You won't stay for much longer, though. You are healthy as it can be. I'll sign some papers and you'll be free to go. Meanwhile, wait there for the headmaster." She said, not bothering for an answer and leaving the room.

His wait didn't take long. The headmaster was a man who didn't like to lose time. When the professor entered the room alone, Jaune was slightly surprised. The headmaster noticed his reaction but ignored it.

"Hello again, Mr. Beauregard." He said, standing in front of the boy. "It was quite a feat, what you did yesterday."

"It wasn't exactly me, sir." The headmaster raised an eyebrow but then smiled.

"I see. Who do we own that performance?" Jaune was not sure why Ozpin asked that question. He answered it anyway.

"She goes by the name of Hama. She's very resourceful." He said truthfully.

"I'm afraid I'm not old enough to have made her acquaintance." Jaune smiled.

"You're not that old, professor. She was one of the first." He surprised himself with that knowledge, then again, those were his past lives. "But I don't think you're here to discuss that, are you?" The headmaster sighed.

"The topic itself is very interesting, but I'm afraid not. I suppose Doctor le Fay told you about the footage?" He received a nod as his answer and then proceeded. "This incident turned a lot of eyes towards you. Vale's Council hasn't charged you or started any cases against you since you not only stopped the operation but also helped to catch many of the White Fang members responsible for the altercation. The police are currently working on interrogating them as we speak."

"But…" The boy anticipated.

"But now basically every person on Vale knows of your existence, and the video became quite viral on the other kingdoms. All four of them." Jaune frowned.

"Do you think he knows?" Ozpin nods once. "I assume Katherine isn't happy with it."

"No. It took a lot of talking to convince her not to drag you to a bunker outside the kingdoms." He said, though there was no amusement in his voice. "Many people now see you as a hero, others see you as a weapon. Worst of all, there are people who see you as an opportunity to become more powerful."

"But my powers doesn't work like… _theirs._ " He said, not knowing if they were being filmed or observed. The headmaster knew there was no threat and gestured for him to continue. "My… our abilities are not transferred to random individuals or to people who we know. It's… It's hard to explain."

"Give it a try, Mr. Beauregard." The headmaster said, sitting down in a chair close to the door. Jaune sighed before continuing.

"Vladimir told me that when an Apprentice dies, its powers are momentarily lost and incredibly weakened. This _essence_ can travel for hours, days or even weeks in search of its new host. The process itself is quite random, but there is something that never changes." He paused, granting the headmaster's attention. "It's always a newborn. Vladimir says that some of us theorize that the power is attracted to purer, untainted souls. That's why it's always a newborn, but not even we are sure of it. I mean, it's not like it has a preference other than that, you know. Faunus, human, male, female. It doesn't discriminate."

"Well, at least that explains why there's a bigger gap between the discovery of the new host." Ozpin acknowledged with a nod. "Unfortunately, those people don't know that and that's what make them more dangerous. As for _him,_ there's nothing we can do for now. It's not like he'll be imprudent to acknowledge your existence as a threat publicly. It would be too easy. However, that also gives us an advantage."

"There's no advantage in a stalemate, headmaster." The boy said, causing the headmaster to smile.

"Perhaps not on the current game, Mr. Beauregard, but it gives you knowledge of your opponent, and the opportunity to not commit the same mistakes." The headmaster got up. "I won't hold you for much longer. I have places to be, documents to read, detentions to assign. Have a nice evening, Mr. Beauregard."

"Same, Professor Ozpin." He answered back politely. The headmaster walked out of the room. Not even a full minute after he left, the door was opened again.

"You're free to go, Mr. Beauregard." Doctor le Fay said. Then, she pointed at a dresser against the wall in front of his bed. "Some of your friends brought you a clean change of clothes. First drawer. Dress up and go. You know the exit. I don't want to see you here again, are we clear?" He nodded with a smile. She left to attend her other patients, giving him some privacy to change.

Five minutes later, he was dressed and outside the building. He texted his teammates before he left and they said they were on the way. Before he could even distinguish the blur who hit him, he was already on the floor. A flash of brown and red hair was all he saw.

"Hey, Ruby." He said with a smile.

"Get off him, you dolt! He literally just got out from the hospital!" He heard Weiss screaming from some distance. Ruby reluctantly let him go.

"I'm okay guys, really. They only kept me there as a precaution." Jaune said, dusting off the dirt from his clothes. "I just passed out, my aura was fine. Doctor's words." That didn't keep Blake from hugging him tightly, she had faint dark circles around her eyes.

"I was so worried." She said, barely able to control her voice. "If you had been hurt because of that, because of my request… I would never forgive myself." He returned the hug, his lips brushing against her forehead.

"I'm okay. Don't worry." He smiled. "I would do it all over again if that meant protecting you." He saw the tinge of red on her cheeks and then Yang's knowing grin. He felt his own cheeks heating up. "Or any of you, for the matter. That's what friends are for, right? Right." He said, albeit rather quickly. Ruby groaned loudly.

"Oh, my Oum! Would you two just kiss already and get on with it?" Silver eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hands. "I-I mean, I'm…" Her muffled voice wasn't heard by any of the others, who were still processing on what she just said. Blake and Jaune were both bright red, Weiss was a loss of words, same as Pyrrha. Both had a tinge of pink on her faces. Ren just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Nora was grinning like a madman. And Yang… Oh, Yang. She was somewhere in between pride and shock. She was the first to recover, bursting in laughter, soon joined by Nora. Pyrrha contributed with some giggling. Ren had a small smile on his face, while Weiss had a smirk. Soon, even Blake and Jaune joined in with some awkward chuckles.

"I guess Ruby summed it up quite nicely." She smiled, placing an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Great job, sis. Didn't knew you had it on you. I'm so proud!" She wiped a fake tear from her face.

"Yang… you're not helping." Ruby said with a sigh.

" _Yang_ in there, little sister. You'll get the _Yang_ of it soon." Ruby groaned once more, though the awkwardness was gone. "So, Captain Remnant, are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yeah. As I said, there was no real damage this time. I was just really tired." He shrugged. "Also, you had to come up with that nickname?"

"Yup. Fitting, don't you think? Now, all we need is your own theme song and custom rings to summon you." Jaune sighed.

"I guess it could be worse." His stomach grumbled. "So… I think I'll grab something to eat. I didn't really eat today."

"We'll join you. It's lunch time anyway." Weiss said.

The walk didn't take long. Soon their plates were full and they all sat together to eat.

"So, what are you guys planning to do during the school break?" Yang asked. "Is everyone going to stay?" Everyone answered positively.

"I was planning on visiting my grandmother, she lives in Vale, after all," Jaune said. "You guys can tag along if you want to." His team reacted differently upon hearing that. Weiss had a small frown. Ruby looked worried and Blake… let's just say she wasn't interested.

"Sure, that's more blackmail material for me," Yang said with a grin.

"Renny planned some training for us! Team LPYN will be ready for action!" Nora said, raising a fist.

"I also thought we could use some training. We have been lacking on in team exercises." Jaune said in a guilty tone. "My bad."

"Nonsense. We'll have time. It's not like the tournament is tomorrow." Weiss said. "I am going to take my time to study for our tests, and I advise some of you to do the same." She said, glaring at Ruby.

"My grades are fine! I scored 76% on our last Grimm studies class, and my combat grades are way above average!" Ruby argued.

"But you can do better. There's always room for improvement. Also, your History grades have been lacking." Jaune rolled his eyes at the discussion.

"So, what are you going to do, partner?" Blake shrugged.

"Catch up with some reading, probably." Weiss glared at her. Blake rolled her eyes. "And do some studying." The heiress let out a satisfied 'humph'. Jaune smiled at that. At least things were going back to normal with those two.

"What about you, sis?" Yang asked.

"Oh! I was planning on going to Vale to buy some supplies for Crescent Rose, and there's this new bakery that opened up that has these great cookies and…" She trailed off, explaining all the things that she wanted to do to her sister, who listened with some amusement.

"I could use a little trip to Vale." She said after her sister finished. "It's been ages since I've been at a good party club."

"That's a great idea! We can all go out in town!" Nora exclaims excitedly, but before any of them can reply, they were drawn to the sound of cackling heels getting closer.

"Sorry for interrupting your planning for school break, but I'll have to steal Mr. Beauregard for a couple moments," Glynda said in her usual monotone voice. "Please, follow me." She said, addressing the boy, before turning around and heading outside.

"Well, I'll be right back." He said before following the deputy. She waited for him outside the building.

"Are you feeling well?" She asked in a kind, motherly way.

"Physically, yes. There was no real damage to my aura. I was just really tired." He said with a shrug.

"That's good to know. Morgan wouldn't let you out if she didn't think you were free to go." Glynda hid a smile. "She can be very… persuasive. However, what I really meant to ask was how are you feeling? I know about what Ozpin talked to you. I know him enough to presume he wasn't very conclusive."

"Something like that." He said with a sigh. "I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not afraid. One of the few things Ozpin was clear enough about was that I would have many people interested in my powers. He's sure that _he_ knows I'm here, and while I might be safe for know, he knows where I live, he knows what I'm capable of. To get things worse, he might even know of the people I care about." He winced at the mere thought. "If he hurts them in any way I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"You're not the first to go through that dilemma. And very likely not the last." She said with a sigh." It's okay to worry, it's okay to worry about them. But something you said is wrong."

"What is it?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"He doesn't know what you're capable of, or anyone else does for the matter. Not even myself, or Katherine, or Ozpin. In all my years of teaching, I never saw someone else with the potential you have. You know you're powerful, and everyone else does too. But you can do so much more if you just… stop doubting yourself. You grew accustomed to that, to think that you've reached the top only because you're much stronger than all your friends. I see many students falling for that, miss Nikos, miss Xiao Long, your teammates. The sooner you all realize that, the better." She said confidently, pausing to take a deep breath and compose herself. "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. Remember that. And remember that you're not alone. As teachers, we worry all the time. So many of our students die before they graduate, or during their first years as huntsmen. However, we are able to push on. We remember not to worry only about protecting them, but to worry about what we can teach them so they can protect themselves. As a leader, keep that in mind." He absent-mindedly nodded, her words sinking in.

"I will. Thanks for the talk." She managed a small smile.

"I'll always be here for you, John." Her smile faltered. "I've to go now. Take care."

"I will, mom." It still felt weird, but it was the kind of weird he could grow accustomed to. After parting ways, he could only thank her again for the wake-up call.

 _Up…_

Michael woke up with a headache. His "friend" had already left. He glanced at the clock and cursed. Oh well, he's the king. He can get away with some extra hours of sleep. A king is never late, after all. The others are early.

His thoughts immediately went to his conversation with Cinder last night. Remembering it brought a smile to his face. While he respected and feared Lady Salem, Cinder was by far his closest ally. She regarded him as the closest thing to an equal, and the feeling was mutual. They had the same reasons to work with Salem. They wanted power. He made fun of Cinder when he was able to achieve his objective first, but now it was her turn to give the shots, and he would help her at the very best of his abilities. Scapegoats, mostly. She operated under the alias "The Black Queen", an inner joke. He said he would make her his queen someday so she made a queen of herself. Someday, he repeated to himself.

Then, his thoughts went to the young Arc. He knew the day would come, that he would have to confront the boy. Either with weapons or words. He was well prepared for both. His people loved him. He worked hard to fix all the mistakes made by generations of Arcs. While the kingdom was very well protected during their era, an exclusively military kingdom can't go too far. Until he took over, Arkend had to import the majority of its food. The war was over, so there was no need for extra weapons, its main exportation products. While its ships were excellent, the other kingdoms would always prefer Mistralian ones. He put the boats to other uses. Fishing became the kingdom's main income. The landscape and weather conditions made almost impossible to grow crops, but there were a few ranchers who supplied the kingdom with fur, leather, and meat. The situation was improving with the investments, and Arkend was finally growing economically since the last great war.

There was also the problem of education. There was a military school, but there was also a reason for the rich to send their kids to study at Atlas. He worked on that, created schools. Their Huntsman Academy would be finished by the end of the year, Madrigal Academy would be ready to receive its first students. The name was to represent unity, the union of several voices. Also to represent their current era, as the citizens chose him as their leader. It took three years working for the council, but he did what many could only dream of.

So he wasn't worried. Even if the truth was exposed, the people would choose him. The other option was an inexperienced boy whose ancestors caused many of their economic difficulties. If the boy wishes to engage combat, he would be no match against a full huntsman in his prime, even if he had such… versatile attacks. If he graduated, Michael would have many years of experience against his. But then, when Cinder's plan is executed, his graduation would be postponed, maybe permanently. He would be sure to be there as her backup if something failed.

There was a knock on the door. He made sure he was presentable enough before letting the person in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, my King, but your meeting with the Vacuan diplomat was due to half an hour ago." The man said the same man who let Cinder in last night. Maybe the closest thing he would allow himself to have as a friend, in the form of a subordinate. "Fortunately, the embassy is late."

"Ask my personal servants to bring me something to eat. I'll get ready in the meantime." The servant nodded, bowing respectfully. "Ludwig." The servant got up quickly, surprised that his King knew who he was. "The woman who was here yesterday. Do you have any idea of when she left?"

"I… Permission to speak freely, my King?" The man asked, unsure. With a nod and a wave of a hand, he proceeded. "I overheard a conversation between the guards. She left the castle around two to three hours after she came in."

"Thank you. That will be all for now." Ludwig made a motion to leave but stopped for a moment.

"If you don't mind me asking, my King. It is in your interest to marry that woman?" Michael was surprised by the question but only raised an eyebrow.

"What made you assume…?" The other man smiled.

"With all due respect, my King, I have seen the way you look at her. I've seen that look many times over my years. A man is still a man, even if he's a King. She clearly interests you, if the way your shoulders relaxed when she entered the room was anything to go by… We might have a new Queen sooner than expected." The man chuckled to himself. Michael couldn't deny the man's perception skill. He would be very useful.

"It may be in my plans, yes, but she isn't one to be attracted to a royal life. She's very independent." He cleared his throat. "This conversation must not leave this room, are we clear?"

"Of course, my King. I wouldn't dare to misplace your confidence." He bowed deeply, and Michael nodded.

"Remind me of my activities today, please." He said while heading to his dressing room. Ludwig followed him but kept his distance to give him his privacy.

"First, as your majesty is well aware, there is the meeting with the Vacuan diplomat. The meeting shouldn't last longer than three hours. Your presence is requested at the gardens, then, to have a brunch with a group of investors. I'm afraid the reason for the meeting wasn't said to me, but I suspect it may be about Madrigal Academy. Though I'm sure your advisor will inform you of any particularities. If everything goes accordingly, you should be free to do your usual duties. Also, the arena has been finally fixed, your majesty." Michael nodded, stepping out of the dressing room with a formal attire on. His silver crown was perfectly aligned with his face, the blue and red gemstones popping out against his black hair.

"Send a messenger to the Council. I wish to arrange a meeting as soon as possible." He said, earning a nod from Ludwig. "That will be all." The servant bowed once more and left.

It would be hard to convince the Council to allow him to attend the Vytal festival, but then again, Cinder gave him excellent reasons to go.

It would be a great way to promote peace, after all.

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 **Next Chapter: April 22.**


	12. Chapter 11: Team bonding experiences

**Here we are with another chapter. Season 1 is officially done. I'll admit, I literally just finished this chapter. It got tricky for me to write towards the end. I hope you guys will enjoy the result. Also, you guys will notice something different when I post the next chapter. I'm changing the story's name and maybe the summary. I feel like this story parted too much from the original. I want it to feel more like its own story, it certainly feels like it to me. So don't be surprised if a new story pops out in your following list next time, okay? Okay.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Jack Lycan (chapter 11): He certainly is manipulative. I totally wanted Ruby to say that quote since day one, you can say everything revolved around it haha. Thank you, and keep being awesome too!**

 **hirshja (chapter 11): Give me a bit of credit, will you? I'm not erasing everything he did wrong, he has his own selfish reasons, but everything will be explained in the future ;). While I got a bit of inspiration from the French Revolution, I took more from the Russian Revolution and the following execution of the Romanov family. Juliet Arc was inspired by the Grand Duchess Olga, the eldest daughter of the last Tzar, even though she was the third daughter here. Also, Johanna was inspired by the Grand Duchess Tatiana.**

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"And as you all should remember from yesterday's class, the kingdom of Atlas, by the time known as Mantle, had some strong opinions against Vale and Vacuo strengthening their economic ties. You see, as the main exporter of..." Doctor Oobleck's class was about to finish, much to their relief. They had already done their tests and today was the last day of classes before the break. Jaune heard Ruby sigh for the third time in the last ten minutes. He nudged her arm and whispered.

"Are you okay?" He asked, earning a single nod, followed by a wild shake of her head. "Is it about the tests?" Another nod. He was going to say something when a glare from Oobleck made he reconsider.

"And that's how the Valean government avoided the first Dust crisis." He finished. "I'm afraid our time is about to end, I expect you all to use this break to relax and renew your energies for the next semester." The bell rang. "Well, run along!" The doctor disappeared in a green and white blur. Jaune turned towards Ruby as the class dispersed.

"So, are you going to tell me what worries you?" He asked, a single eyebrow raised. Ruby looked down and sighed. Weiss and Blake noticed the other half of their team standing behind and went after them.

"I think I might have failed our Dust Manipulation test," Ruby said with a sad groan.

"Nonsense! I helped you study!" Weiss exclaimed. "What could you have possibly done wrong?"

"The written exam was fine. That's not what I'm worried about." She reassured her partner. "But I literally blew up my practical exam!" Jaune and Weiss sighed.

"Ruby, we were supposed to ignite fire dust. It had to blow up! That's why they gave us those glasses and especial clothes!" Weiss exclaimed, partially relieved that her partner had done well, after all. Ruby felt a great weight go off her shoulders, her mood drastically changed.

"Oh thank goodness! I was so worried!" She exclaimed while hugging her partner, who fought bravely against the younger girl's grip.

"Let me go, you dolt! You have nothing to worry about!" With a quick sorry, Ruby let go. "So, since we didn't have Combat Class today, how about some training?"

"Sure! I'm so energized now!" Ruby said with a smile.

"I'm up for it, we have to practice our team attacks for the tournament," Jaune said. "Blake? You coming?" The raven-haired girl shrugged.

"Sure, why not." With that, they headed towards the training rooms. Luckily for them, with the majority of the students going to Vale during the break, they were nearly empty.

"Okay! Blake, Ruby, get ready! I'm going to give you a target!" Using his semblance, Theodore erupted from the ground. Jaune gave him a mental command to stay in place and endure the hits. "Guillotine!"

Blake moved first, using shadow clones as a propeller to go faster. Ruby did the same with her bullets, but she went upwards as she got closer to her target. They reached Theodore with one or two seconds in between them, if Theodore hadn't been ordered to not react, Blake would've been hit before Ruby arrived. Blake threw her whip up, just in time for Ruby to barely grab it. Blake pulled it down as Ruby fired a shot from Crescent Rose, Ruby went down fast, the force enough to decapitate Theodore. With a snap of Jaune's finger, it reformed.

"Not bad. Some things still need improvement. Especially your timing." He said to both, who nodded. "Theodore, stay back for a bit. You two prepare to shoot, now it's our turn." He said, referring to himself and Weiss. "Ready?" The heiress raised an eyebrow confidently. "Okay." He readied his own sword and shield. "Swords Dance!"

Ruby and Blake fired from their weapons. Weiss instantly thrust her rapier into the ground, a large glyph forming beneath them. They felt the world slow around them, their swords moved in an intricate choreography, slashing through bullets coming from every side. Weiss's rapier wasn't as effective as his sword, so he would also cover her with his shield momentarily. This fast paced dance came to its end as the glyph faded. Jaune sent a smile to Weiss, who proudly displayed one of her own.

"Your time dilation glyphs are quite the addition." He complimented.

"I still have to practice with them. They are relatively new. I hope to hone them in time for the tournament." She said, more for herself than for Jaune. Still, the boy acknowledged her point with a nod.

"Okay, rest for the next round. Blake, it's our turn." His partner went towards him.

"Which one today? Stealth Rock or..."

"Actually, recent events made me rethink our other team attack's name." Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Okay...? What is it?" He bit his lower lip before saying it.

"Shadowcat." He lifts his arms to protect his face, leaving a gap to see her reaction. Her bow and left eye twitched.

"I refuse to be a part of this." She said, finally. Ruby snorted and Weiss hid a smile. Blake made a motion to leave when a laughing Jaune took her hand. She froze in place momentarily.

"I'm sorry." He said between laughs. "I wish you could have seen your face. The name remains the same, actually, it was Yang who suggested this one and..."

"Don't." She said, now with a smirk. "Leave it as it is." Now it was his turn to be surprised.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically. She turned around to face him, pressing a hand against his chest.

"Sure. It's a fitting name and a decent reference."

"I sense hesitation," Ruby whispered to Weiss, who nodded. Blake's bow twitched as she heard that, but she pretended she didn't.

"Now let's see if I recall correctly... First, you would serve as a platform with your shield, giving me impulse while also holding the edge of my whip. I would be covering you by shooting like this. " She fired a couple shots that he easily deflected with his shield. Then when I reach the top, you'll throw me towards the enemy like I'm the head of a hammer, only to disappear in the last moment and strike them from behind like this..." She said, getting him not by surprise, but for her boldness. She made him trip, catching his hand mid-air, preventing the fall. "And on the meantime, you would be bashing in with sword and shield in hand. Using me as a cover for your attacks as I just fade away, getting my own hits on a stunned target." She let him fall. "Do try to catch up, your reflexes are slowing down." He smirked with amusement, and perhaps something more. He got up with little difficulty, dusting himself off.

"Okay, duly noted. Never mess with you and cat jokes. But because of this, I'm keeping the name." She rolled her eyes but nodded.

"Is this the sexual tension thing that Yang talks about when she thinks I'm not listening?" Ruby asked in a not so discreet whisper to Weiss. The heiress pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, internally fighting to contain her laughter at her teammates who were now blushing like crazy and shouting denials at Ruby, who kept screaming she was sorry.

"We need to work on your whispering," Weiss said after mentally counting to ten and regaining her composure. "Also, to answer your question, yes it is."

"NO, IT'S NOT!" Blake and Jaune screamed in unison. Ruby raised her hand, uncertain whether to do it or not.

"Uh... guys? What is this sexual tension thing?"

 _Tension..._

Jaune couldn't deny he was a bit tense as they walked down the streets of Vale. He managed to drag his team along. Team LPYN would be meeting them later at a local club Yang had spoken about.

"How close are we?" Ruby asked him.

"We're pretty close. The building is around the corner." He said, ignoring the looks most civilians gave at him. Most were positive, but some tried to avoid him. There was also the occasional snap of a camera. Weiss was the only one who was used to this, so she hid her annoyance perfectly. The others weren't that skilled in that regard. "Now I understand why Pyrrha came from Mistral, all this attention is so..."

"Unsettling?" Weiss suggested. "Tell me about it. You get used to it eventually."

"I hope I don't have to." He mumbled to himself as they approached the tall building. "Here we are. Any last words?"

"I can't believe you convinced me to come here," Blake said.

"I didn't really force you." He said. "Actually, you were the one to tag along."

"I'm not going to let you be with her alone," Blake muttered loud enough for them to hear. "I think none of us would."

"Guys." He sighed. "Katherine may have done some questionable things, but she did it for my well being, for our safety." He nodded to the receptionist, who recognized him and granted him access.

"Why? What would she have to worry about? I mean, yes, you experienced a lot of bad things, but it's not like you were the only one. It doesn't justify her erasing or blocking your memories. There's no real threat to your life now, right?" Blake said. Jaune but back a curse for his slip.

"Right, other than Grimm, terrorists, and criminals." He joked as they entered the elevator. "Look, I appreciate you're all concerned about me. I really do, but for now, let's just let things go naturally. I know I can't stay mad at her forever, so I have to try to fix things, and she's trying too. Just give her a chance."

There wasn't an immediate response, but at least there wasn't an argument. They got to the right floor. Before Jaune could knock on the door, it opened. Katherine stood there in a long sleeveless dark green dress. Her hair was loose, falling back as a waterfall of silver silk. She inspected the four youngsters at her doorstep before hugging her grandson.

"It's good to see that you still know where I live. Since you went to Beacon, the only chance I had to see you was when you were in the infirmary." She said, releasing him from her embrace. "I see you brought your teammates. Luckily I expected that. You are more than welcome in my house. Please, come in. We can talk over some tea and biscuits."

"Thank you for receiving us," Weiss said politely, after a short bow. Ruby quickly did the same along with a very reluctant Blake.

"You're more than welcome. Please have a seat." She gestured towards the living room. "Jonathan, would you please help me with the food and beverages?"

"Of course." He followed her to the kitchen. Once they were out of view, Katherine slapped him on the back of his head, while simultaneously firing a blue telepathic mental bolt towards the door that silenced the room. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Try to guess." Katherine snarled. "You realize what your little stunt at the docks did?"

"I know! Professor Ozpin told me already, but it's not like I was letting Torchwick kill my friends!" He said. "It's not like my identity would be hidden forever! The Vytal festival is coming, after all. Rasputin wouldn't be dumb enough to think that a new Beauregard popped out of nowhere!"

"I know that, but my point is, now not only your identity was revealed to him, now you're publicly known. Soon, there will be questions to who you are. After all, as you said, no one would believe a Beauregard popped out of nowhere."

"Then we stick with the story you and mom invented, that she was pregnant with me before your son died." He said as she shook her head.

"It won't hold forever."

"But it will buy some time. It's not like we can hold this big lie forever." He sighed. "I hate having to." Katherine seemed to notice that she wasn't going to convince him to hold it forever, so she also sighed before speaking again.

"Stay close to your teammates at all costs. Never go out on the streets alone and for Oum's sake, stop getting involved in crazy fights!" He couldn't help but snort at that.

"I'll try." She rolled her eyes and walked towards the oven, putting a kitchen glove on. She used it to grab a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

"Put those on a tray, the tea is almost ready." She said, stirring the pot of tea.

"How did you know when to prepare the tea?" He asked ass he reached for a cabinet.

"I sensed your mental trace as soon as you approached the building." She confessed as she grabbed her tea set. She put on a neutral face as they approached the living room. Ruby was already bouncing up and down the couch, which meant she had smelled the scent of the cookies. Weiss silently scolded her. "So, I don't think I've told you about the day Jonathan forgot to do maintenance of his weapons..." Ruby gasped, eyeing him as if he was some kind of monster. He could do nothing but sigh. This was his punishment and he was very aware of it.

 _Aware..._

They weren't aware of who had started it, but it really didn't matter now. Jaune blamed Yang and Nora. Also, Sun. Yeah, Sun was a bad influence.

"I don't think I want to get drunk, like... ever," Ruby said. Jaune managed to barely hear her over the loud music. The two of them and Weiss were the only ones who were truly sober. Ruby because of her age, since the legal age was 17 to huntsmen in training. Weiss was not particularly fond of alcohol and neither was Jaune. Blake wasn't going to drink, but she ended up being dragged by Yang and Sun. Something about BWBR pride and stuff. Now she was laying on the floor, fist pumping the air and mumbling stuff about tuna. Sun was on the dance floor, his shirt completely discarded as he tried to keep up with the people around him. Jaune and Yang had joined him when he was less drunk, and they totally wrecked the dance floor. Yang did it figuratively, for once.

"It's probably a nice choice," Weiss said with a sigh. "As much as it is entertaining to see Yang and Nora dancing at the bar, Ren passing out and Blake trying to catch imaginary flying tuna, it's getting late."

"You forgot about Pyrrha." Jaune pointed out. Watching the champion, who had only a beer or two, running around trying to keep her teammates from trouble was very entertaining. "I feel really bad for her, but it's so funny!" Ruby giggled.

"I know right!" She exclaimed. "It gives me some mixed feelings."

"It may be amusing." The heiress conceded. "But it's time for us to go."

"I'll fetch Blake." He said, getting up. He walked towards her, gently picking her up, carrying her bridal style. He ran into Pyrrha on his way back.

"Please don't tell me you are going to leave me alone with them." Jaune cringed.

"Do you want us to take Ren back with us?" He asked instead of answering. The amazon sighed, her head falling into her hands. She nodded nonetheless. He patted her back with his somewhat free hand. "Good luck." He summoned a smaller, less bulky version of Theodore, ignoring the stares he receives from the people at the club as the Golem walks towards the leader of team LPYN. The group left the club, leaving behind two drunk powerhouses, a drunk dancing Faunus and a scared for life four times champion.

 _Drunk..._

Blake groaned once more, her hangover hadn't got any better. Why she let Yang and Nora convince her, she would never know. The door opened, revealing a very amused Jaune, who was holding a glass of some green beverage and a book.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, walking towards her bed. She winced as the room was filled with light.

"I'm going to die." She said with a groan. "Close the door."

"Well, we all are." He chuckled as he did so. She struggled to sit when she made it he handed her the glass. "Here. Ren said it would help, it's his special recipe. It seemed to work for him."

"Thanks." She said, sniffing the drink and suddenly pushing it away from her. "Ugh! I think I will take the hangover, thanks." He chuckled once more, kneeling down so he could meet her eyes.

"Come on. It will make you feel better. At least try it, please? For me?" He gave her his "kicked puppy" eyes, and she sighed, drinking it in three successive large gulps. She made a face and struggled to keep the content of the glass inside her body. "See, it wasn't that bad." The withering look she sent him was enough to make him shut up. Her eyes then trailed to the book he brought. He noticed her eyes drifting to it, and handed her the book. "I figured you would like something new to read, you must have memorized all the books you brought." He said sheepishly. She glanced at the cover and her eyes widened.

"The man without a soul." She half whispered. "How did you...?"

"Well, it's one of your favorite series. And one of the few without smut, so I could buy it with a straight face." She smacked him playfully and he smiled. "Plus, you've been talking about this spin-off for weeks."

"Thank you." She said genuinely. He leaned in, kissing her forehead blushed slightly, glad he couldn't see it due to the bad illumination.

"You're more than welcome, partner." He got up from his kneeling position. He walked towards the door. "Text me if you need food or something."

"Thanks, I will." She said with butterflies in her stomach. He closed the door behind him, and she let out a satisfied sigh. She smiled at the lingering feeling of his lips on her forehead. The butterflies in her stomach caused an uproar again. A few seconds later she had to run over to the bathroom.

Actually, the cause of her internal fluttering weren't butterflies in her stomach unless that was the secret ingredient of Ren's death juice.

 _Juice..._

Jaune took a sip of his orange juice. The week had been gone in a flash. He looked over at Blake's book, glancing at a couple notes and drawings. He leaned towards her.

"I never took you for an artist." She closed the book with a startled look. "Those are pretty good drawings."

"Thanks." She said. "I was just going over notes from last semester."

"Lame," Yang said from across the table, catching a grape Nora threw at her, giving the ginger the thumbs up. Suddenly Ruby arrived, slamming a huge binder onto the table. She clears her throat.

"Sisters... friends... Weiss." Weiss left out a huff of indignation. "Four scores and seven minutes ago, I had a dream."

"Here we go..." Jaune whispered loud enough for only Blake to hear. She slapped his arm playfully.

"This ought to be good," Yang said, catching another grape with her mouth.

"A dream that one day, the eight of us will come together, as sister teams, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked with a sigh.

"I'm not a crook." She answered back, making peace signs with her hands.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked Ruby.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!"

"I always kick my semesters off with a _Yang!_ Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Jaune winced at the pun, Ruby and Blake groaned, Weiss just rolled her eyes. Nora threw an apple at Yang.

"Look, guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today, none of them involving alcohol because of what happened past weekend." Eyes went directly to Yang and Nora, the latter dodging an apple threw at her by Yang.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store," Weiss said hesitantly.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake said.

"Oh, come on Blake. We won't have time to do something like this after classes begin." Jaune said, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Just imagine the possibilities."

"Nora, no!" Pyrrha yelled from across the table as Yang and Nora wrestled to grab a pie to throw at each other.

"I got it!"

"I for one think that..." Weiss wasn't able to complete her statement as the pie hit her face. Team BWBR looked over to team LPYN's side of the table, where Yang just released Nora's wrist and sat down. Jaune sighed before covering his face with both hands. He groaned louder as he heard Ruby declare war, followed by the sound of people screaming and tables being moved out of place. Why him?

 _Him..._

"Man, that's harsh." The blue hair headed teen said, as his blonde partner kept talking excitedly about the events of three weeks before.

"I know, we were fighting side by side. She was super fast, and then her partner just summons the ocean to help him beat everyone. And then bam! He starts hovering into the air and this storm starts out of nowhere, these things start coming out from the water and freeze around the bad guys. It was like, a straight out of movie epic fight. It was awesome!" Sun said, throwing his hands up in the air for emphasis.

"It sounds epic." Sun raised an eyebrow at his partner.

"It was epic, Neptune! There's even a video! I sent Scarlet the link, haven't you seen it yet?" Sun asked, rolling his eyes as Neptune gulps. "Man, it was just a video od the ocean!"

"Shut up! It sounded scary, with all the screams and stuff." Sun snorted.

"Let's just hope you don't have to fight the guy." Neptune gulped and nodded. "But he's a great guy, they're all so fun! We headed to a club last week, I had a blast! The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys."

"None was taken," Neptune said with a nod.

"They're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay?" He asked as they approached the door. "You're gonna be cool, right?"

"Dude." Neptune gestured to himself. Sun eyes him up and down.

"Good point." He conceded. The duo entered the room, barely managing to avoid the stampede of students screaming and heading outside. Sun looked around with a gleam in his eyes, while Neptune seemed about to follow the lead of the running students. The cafeteria was split into two areas, one with a giant castle made of tables and the other with scattered tables all around.

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" Ruby screams, crushing a carton of milk in her hand. "It will be delicious!"

"Yeah!" Her teammates followed her, Weiss now without pie on her face.

"Off with their heads!" Nora exclaims excitedly, jumping down from the top of her tower. Before BWBR could react, a massive number of watermelons were thrown at them.

"Leave it to me!" Jaune exclaimed as he moved his hand upwards, He had been practicing his nonverbal spells, and Hama had been right, his elemental affinity was earth. A wall of solid rock protected himself and his teammates from the upcoming watermelons, Blake then leaps in front of the barrier, grabbing two baguettes and facing Pyrrha, who had grabbed one of her own. Jaune Maybe let the barrier down. As soon as he did it he had to face Yang, who was using turkeys as gloves. He manages to avoid the first punch, but she caught him with the second, he was thrown back.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Ruby tag-teamed against Ren and Nora. As they were approaching Weiss uses ketchup to make them slip. Ren falls for it and Nora manages to avoid it, but Ruby uses a tray as a skate and hits her right on her stomach, sending her and her watermelon hammer back.

Jaune recovered from the blow quickly, grabbing a baguette and holding back Yang for as long as he could. He ended up being near Blake, who was in a bad position against Pyrrha.

"Stealth shot!" He exclaimed, blocking Yang's punch and pushing her back. Blake nodded before suddenly vanishing before Pyrrha could hit her, Jaune took the opportunity to throw his baguette as a spear, hitting Pyrrha successfully. Now he was disarmed, but then Blake threw him both of her baguettes, taking a link of sausages.

The battle goes on for a few minutes, both sides suffering losses. Ren was the first to fall by Weiss's hand, but Nora got her revenge, taking her out. Blake was next, only because of a barrage of soda cans sent by Pyrrha. Jaune was able to barricade Ruby and himself, but it was too late for her...

With a renewed focus, Jaune sent Ruby a fierce look, which the red reaper returned.

"Is it time?" She asked as their barrier suffered some damage.

"Yes. Are you ready?" She nodded. "On the count of three."

"One..." Ruby assumed a running position.

"Two..." Jaune prepared to set the barrier down. They locked eyes one more time.

"Three!" The barrier was down. "Whirlwind!" Ruby used her semblance to run around him, while he used geokinesis to root his feet into the ground. "Ventus turbo!" The food in the nearby tables was sucked into the red vortex. Then Jaune built a dome for himself and let Ruby take over, the sound of objects smashing against a wall told him that the plan worked. He dismissed the some in time to see team LPYN slip down from the food mosaic they had made on the wall. Ruby threw him a winning smirk, which he returned. He walked towards her as everyone gathered around once more in laughter. Their attention was suddenly switched to the door, that was violently opened by no other than Glynda Goodwitch herself. The deputy waves her riding crop once and every table went back to its original location.

"Children, please. Do not play with your food." She said with a cool, yet murderous look. Nora chose that moment to burp loudly, causing laughter to erupt again. The headmaster approached the scene, pressing a hand on her shoulder.

"Let it go." He said softly, causing her to sigh.

"They're are supposed to be the protectors of this world." Ozpin gave her a short nod.

"Yes, but for now they're just children." He said with a small smile, his eyes warming at the scene in front of him. "So why not let them play the part?" His eyes went to Jaune and his smile faltered. He took this moment to walk away. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."

* * *

 **Next Chapter: May 6th.**


	13. Chapter 12: Strategy

**Hey, everyone! So, new chapter. Yay! This is the shortest so far (sorry). Originally it would be twice as big, but I decided to split it up so it wouldn't be too much content at once. Totally not related to the fact I finally installed League of Legends after my friends kept pestering me for months, not related at all.**

 **Also, a lot of new things today! A new title, new cover art, new summary. New beginnings everyone! I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

The elevator doors open. Ozpin, who is watching as a massive Atlesian ship descends upon a landing pad, turns his head momentarily. Glynda looked at him and then through the same window he was watching. Two bullheads land next to the big airship.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." She said with a sigh.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man." Three more bullheads approach, and he frowns slightly. "But yes, those a bit of an eyesore." A beeping sound interrupts their thoughts. Ozpin looks over to his table and quickly allows access to the General. A few seconds later, the doors open once more, and they are greeted by the sight of Ironwood.

"Ozpin!" The General approaches them with a smile on his face, Ozpin walks towards him as well.

"Hello, General." He says back.

"Please, drop the formalities." They shake hands. Glynda approaches. "And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met. How is John? He must be quite shaken by the events at the docks."

"He's doing fine, thank you. But I believe you're not truly worried about how my son is, but rather if he knows who he is. Am I right?" Ironwood stood silent for a moment and was about to give her an answer when she interrupted him. "If you were wondering, the answer to both questions is 'yes'." She walked towards the exit, stopping as the elevator doors opened. She looked back at both men. "I'll be outside." After she left the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Ironwood cleared his throat.

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit."

"Well, was she right?" The headmaster asked while walking back to his desk.

"I would have asked eventually, yes. But it's not like I don't care for the boy's well-being." The General approaches Ozpin's desk.

"Fair enough. Don't take it personally, Glynda is not taking the situation lightly. He is basically her son in everything but blood." Ironwood nodded. "So, what in the world brought you all the way down from Atlas?" He picks up a mug and a kettle, pouring as he speaks. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival." He offers the cup to Ironwood, who gladly accepts.

"Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year." He says, taking a canteen from his inside coat pocket and pouring its content into the mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up." Ozpin sits down and pours himself some coffee.

"I can certainly appreciate the quality time between friends, however, a small fleet outside my window has me concerned." The headmaster said with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, concerned is what brought them here." The local headmaster nodded.

"I understand that travel between kingdoms had become increasingly difficult, but..."

"Oz." Ironwood interrupts with a sigh. "You and I both know why I brought those men." Ozpin takes a sip and sets down his mug.

"We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like that are just going to give off The wrong impression." Ironwood puts his mug down.

"Shows of power such as the incident on the docks? Ozpin, you realize that you have not one, but two powerful, endangered individuals under your walls. His existence is basically public. Plus, if what Qrow said is true..." It was Ozpin's turn to set his mug down.

"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully. Amber is safely guarded and I doubt anyone could lay a finger on Jonathan without suffering the wrath of Glynda, or Oum forbids, Katherine." Both men shrugged at the thought. "It's the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest that you don't scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious." The General said with a frown, causing Ozpin to sigh.

"As am I. I know you worry a lot, James, but let's not overreact. We must continue to do our job and train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can." It was Ironwood's time to sigh. He grabbed his mug once more.

"Believe me, I am." He pauses to drink. His eyes soften slightly. "But ask yourself this: Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?" Ozpin closed his eyes for a second before answering.

"I hope they never have to." He takes a sip from his mug. "You?"

"Couldn't have said it better."

 _Better..._

"Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby said excitedly. If he hadn't known her better, he'd be surprised. She was doing a great job with Atlas, but Yang certainly had the upper hand.

"Bring it on!" Yang said, equally pumped.

"I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Yang gasps as Ruby slams her card down on the table. "Looks like I get to fly over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!"

"You fiend!"

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." Ruby crosses her arms confidently, but her confidence quickly disappears as Yang raises a card.

"Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card! Giant Nevermore!" She says as she also slams her card down. Ruby gasps. "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

"But, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" Ruby said, a bit hopeful.

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." They glare viciously at each other. Jaune raised his own trap card.

"Too bad that I'm not." He smirks, gathering the attention of both sisters. "I also activate my trap card. Plummet!" Yang gasped and threw a venomous glare towards him. "If a flying unity is near one of my, or an ally's, troops, this card destroys it. Seeing as Arkend is allied with Atlas, I don't have to fear of being attacked by their side. That leaves your Nevermore. Since it is considered a half summon card, it can be destroyed without activating its effect. Now Ruby can proceed with her attack."

"John, you're the best!" Ruby says, hugging his arm. Yang didn't seem as satisfied since her eyes flashed red for a moment.

"I won't forget this! I'll make your citizens pay, Beauregard!" Yang exclaims, pointing her finger at Jaune.

"Bring it on, Xiao Long." He said defiantly. "Weiss, your turn."

"I have... absolutely no idea of what's going on." Yang slides to her side and starts explaining what Weiss could do. In the meantime, Jaune was focused on Blake, who was sat by his side. She looked down, more than usual. He carefully placed a hand on her arm, hesitating when he saw she recoil slightly from the touch, but then relieved when he realized it was just because of the sudden contact.

"Are you okay?" He whispers.

"I'm just..." She sighs. "Nothing, nevermind."

"Are you sure?" He raises an eyebrow. "I'll always be here for you if you ever want to talk, you know that, right?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. Thanks, John." She gives him a small smile and he lets go of the subject, just in time to see Weiss's army being destroyed by Yang.

"Alright Blake, you're up!" Yang says excitedly as Ruby patted Weiss's back.

"Oh, um, sorry. What am I doing again?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang says, pumping her fist into the air.

"Oh, right." She sets down a few cards absent-mindedly, mainly fortifying her defenses and protecting her borders. "I'm done."

"You're one of those defensive players, aren't you?" Yang asked. "I can respect that. It will only be more epic when I crush it down! First, I'll employ..."

"Sup, losers" They all turn around to see Sun's arrival. "John, Ruby, Blake, Yang, Ice Queen."

"Hey!" Weiss frowns at the nickname as if Yang calling her that wasn't enough.

"I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." He gestures to the blue hair headed boy at his side.

"You must be Neptune," Jaune says, shaking the guy's hand. "Sun told us a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope?" Jaune snickers, causing Neptune to wince and then glare at his friend.

"Mostly. But we went to a party club last week so... he may or may not have spoken too much." Yang smirks. "Is it true that the carpet matches the drapes?"

"Y-Yang!" Ruby and Weiss went red, Neptune was no different. Sun was laughing awkwardly. Yang laughed at their reactions and Jaune soon followed her.

"She's kidding, though. He didn't say anything like that." Jaune said after wiping a year from the corner of his eyes. "Just some colorful stories at best." Neptune seemed to relax instantly.

"But do they?" Yang asked again, wiggling her eyebrows. He heard Blake sigh by his side.

"So... I never took you guys as the board game playing type," Sun said to Jaune and Blake, trying to change the subject.

"I'm a level 43 Battle Mage," Jaune said with a smirk, causing Sun to roll his eyes.

"And I actually think I'm done playing," Blake says as she gets up. "I'll see you guys later. Fell free to take my spot." She left the room.

"Was it something one of us said?" Sun asked, causing Jaune to sigh.

"No, but I have an idea of what might be." He got up as well, staring at the Faunus boy. "I trust you to continue my game. We're allied with Atlas, that's Ruby. Yang is the biggest threat, no offense Weiss."

"None was taken." The heiress said. Jaune was just being realistic.

"Fell free to join in too, Neptune. Get to know everyone. I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?" He said before leaving after Blake.

"Sun, I hope you know what you're doing. I won't tolerate any freeloaders!" Ruby said, lifting up the mood once more.

"I'll do my best, General Rose, sir!" The monkey Faunus said with a salute, before sitting down on Jaune's spot. Neptune sat down by his side.

After that, the battle for mankind began...

 _After..._

After a good ten minutes of searching Blake, he found her at their dorm. Now that he thought about it, the search should have started by looking for her there. He stood by the doorstep, unsure of how to proceed.

"Are you sure it's nothing?" He asked with a small smile, before closing the door and hesitantly approaching Blake, who was sulking in her bed. She made space for him to sit, so he considered it a good thing. He sat down by her. "Talk with me. What's in your head?"

"I... It's just..." She sighs. "It's just the White Fang, and the talk I had with Professor Ozpin. It made me rethink a lot of things."

"You had a talk with Ozpin? When?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"After the incident at the docks. I wasn't the only one. Everyone who was there talked to him right afterward. You were unconscious at the time, remember? I guess I didn't think it mattered the mention back then." He nods.

"He spoke to me right after I woke up, too. What did he say to you?" So she told him. From the fact that Ozpin knew she was a Faunus, which didn't really surprised her, to him trying to find out how they had known that the White Fang would be at the docks. She stuck with the truth. Dumb luck. Sun had a hint of the big dust cargo, they just happened to be at the right place at the right time. She was glad to know later that Sun's story matched hers. "I think he suspects that I am, or was, with the White Fang."

"I suppose that's why you're worried?" She shakes her head. "Then what is it?"

"A lot of things. I'm worried about how twisted the White Fang became. You know there was a time when Faunus could openly say they supported the White Fang? A time when we didn't need masks to hide our faces. When we used signs instead of weapons? A time where being associated with them wasn't bad?" She huffed. "I miss those days."

"How old were you? I mean, I know the turning point, but you couldn't have been there, you were too young."

"Arkend. No, I wasn't there. I was ten at the time. My parents left the Fang right after it. I should have left with them." She sighs. "I was basically born into the White Fang. Since I could walk I participated in their protests and boycotts. I guess that's why I was so reluctant on leaving it, it was really all I knew. They were my family."

"Well, this team is your family now. You can count on us." He said with a smile, which she returned.

"I know. But I just... I can't understand how you all can be so... calm." Jaune snorts at her words.

"Do you think we're calm? I know I'm not. I'm terrified." He says truthfully.

"You? What could you possibly be afraid of?"

"Losing you, my team, my friends. My family, even though we're not the conventional kind." He chuckled. "I'm terrified because thousands of hundreds of people know who I am and where I am. That includes Torchwick, the White Fang, Ras..." He hesitates, and she notices the almost slip. "I'm afraid of what they could do to all of you, to make me suffer. I'm so scared."

"You must be one of the few exceptions then." She said, much calmer now. He, however, wasn't finished.

"Weiss is afraid too, I can tell. Though she knows how to hide it very well."

"Like you."

"It takes a crazy person to recognize another." He conceded. "With all this Schnee name thing, and even though she is related to that only by name, she's still a target. And Ruby..." He smiled fondly. "I don't think she is afraid for herself, she's too busy worrying about all of us. So, no, Blake, we aren't calm. We just know when to leave our worries behind."

"I wish I could do that." She confesses in a whisper. "I just can't erase the thought that something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it."

"But they are. The police caught some of the grunts who were at the docks, they're investigating alongside Huntsmen."

"As if they would know something important." She huffed. "They don't know the White Fang like I do."

"Then what's your plan?" He asked, causing her to raise an eyebrow. She was expecting anything but that.

"Wait, What?"

"What's your plan?" He repeated. "I know how stubborn you are. You would end up going on a solo raid to a White Fang base of you felt like it and no one would be capable of holding you back. So I'm just surrendering now and offering you my assistance because there's no way I'm going to let you fight them alone. We're partners, remember?" She was still in some state of shock but was able to brush past that and hug him tightly. "Just a thing before we start with the planning. I promised my grandmother I wasn't getting in trouble again, so if this comes out I'm throwing you to the wolves." She laughed, genuinely laughed.

"I think I can handle it." She said as she broke the hug. "Thank you."

"I'll call Weiss and Ruby to come back, I don't want to repeat the plan for them later." He said, grabbing his scroll.

"I thought it would be only the two of us." She said with a frown.

"Do you honestly think they would let us go alone? Unless you want to pretend we're going out on a date?" He teased. She turned red and rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She sighed. "Call them."

"That won't be necessary." The door opened, revealing a stone-faced Weiss and a guilty looking Ruby. The heiress crossed her arms and sighed. "That is a terrible idea, you know?"

"Well, technically we haven't planned yet, so..." Jaune said, scratching the back of his neck.

"We're students, you know that, right? What can we do that a full Huntsman can't?" She asked Blake, who now frowned.

"I have the knowledge they don't, even if they have some White Fang members, they won't be of any help."

"Then tell them in an anonymous email or something! We're not ready!" The heiress exclaimed.

"And we may never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day!" Blake points to the door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!"

"Look." Jaune stood between the two. "You don't have to go if you don't want to." Weiss sighed.

"I've never said that. You were right when you said we wouldn't let you two kill yourselves."

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly by her side."Investigation time!"

"Wait? Are you two serious?" Blake asked, somehow surprised.

"Yup. Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby said.

"I suppose there's no way I could change your minds, so... as John said it, better give up now and save some of my dignity," Weiss added.

"I don't remember the 'saving my dignity' line." He said, an eyebrow raised.

"It was implicit." Blake let out a small smile at that.

"Okay... So, who won the game, by the way?" Jaune asked.

"Sun and I did! After we teamed up with Neptune to take Yang down, it was easy to defeat him. Weiss, well... She was out way before that." Ruby said. Jaune swore he heard Weiss complaining about some "stupid game" before Ruby gasped. "Oh no! I left my board game at the library!"

And she ran to retrieve it, unaware of the three strangers she would crash into.

* * *

 **Next chapter: May 20.**


	14. Chapter 13: Burning the Candle

"So... Is everyone ready?" Jaune asked his teammates while finishing up dressing his new attire. The usual shoulder armor and cape were discarded. Instead, he went for a black twin-tailed long coat. Underneath the coat, he has a bluish leather vest that covers his whole torso. His pants are the same model, but the black was changed to white. His boots remained the same milky brown.

"Yup!" Ruby said excitedly, hopping off her bed. Her attire also different. Rather than only black and red, she added in a gray shirt underneath a black corset with red strings. Her combat skirt was now pure black, and she decided to keep her iconic red cloak and black boots, the latter also with red strings."Are we going to go over the plan again?"

"I don't think we need to," Jaune said. "Everyone knows where to go and what to do, right?"

"Ruby and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies." Weiss got up from her bed, her new white skirt with black lace trim flared a bit as she moved. She wears a white jacket with black details, making it look like she was wearing a white dress coat. Finally, she is also wearing a pair of white, thigh high boots with black heels and lace topped black stockings. "Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem."

"The White Fang has a regular place where they organize faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If the place is still the same, I can get in and hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake said, fixing the black ribbons on her forearms. She is wearing black pants with a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg instead of shorts and a white, v-neck zip-up crop shirt. To wrap it up, she finished the outfit with black high-heels boots and some pieces of black and translucent purple fabric attached to a black belt. She kept her signature black bow on top of her head.

"And I am going to that club we went during the break since it's also where Yang's contact is. According to her, it shouldn't be hard for us to get the information we need." Jaune said, receiving nods of approval from his teammates. "Okay then! We'll meet up tonight near the CCT to go over whatever we find. Keep your scrolls at hand, especially you, Blake. Call if you need help. We can do this!"

"Yeah!" A new voice said from outside. Team BWBR looked over to the window and saw Sun, hanging upside down by his tail on the tree right next to their dorm.

"Sun?!" Blake exclaimed, equally startled and confused. "How did you get up here? For how much time were you listening?"

"I do things like this all the time!" Sun said dismissively.

"You what?!" Weiss asked, probably worried about her privacy being violated, and rightfully to think so.

"I climb trees all the time!" He explained himself. "Also, I heard your plan. You guys are finally going to get even with that Torchwick guy and I want to help!"

"Sorry Sun, but this is kind of a team BWBR thing. You know." Ruby said, scratching the back of her head.

"We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to," Jaune added, hoping the boy would get a hint.

"That's stupid, you should always get your friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune!" Sun answers back, his hand pointing right. Jaune was the first to look over, followed by Blake and then Weiss and Ruby.

"Sup." The blue hair headed boy said, pressed firmly on the wall.

"How did you even got up there?" Blake asked Neptune, who simply shrugged.

"I have my ways." He said smugly. "Seriously though, can I come in? We're like, really, really high."

"Sure. Let me help." Jaune said. With a quick gesture of his hands, stone platforms erupted from the wall. Neptune hesitantly steps on them, and once he was sure they were secure he quickly went towards the window. Once he was inside the room, Jaune put the stone back to its place.

"Thanks, man," Neptune said as Sun also entered the room. "Can't believe I let you talk me into this." He said to his partner.

"Yeah, yeah... I know. But then we'd be alone on our dorm with nothing to do. Now, instead of doing that, we're helping out on a spying mission! How cool is that?!" Sun exclaimed excitedly, causing Blake to frown.

"First of all, we are yet to decide if you two are tagging along or not. Second of all, try not to let everyone at Beacon aware of what we're doing, please. Sun had the decency to look a bit ashamed by Blake's words.

"Well, they do know already," Ruby said. "Who knows? We might need backup out there. Also, we could all work in pairs so nobody would be alone!"

"It does sound logical." Weiss surprisingly said, supporting her partner. "If one of us run into trouble, he or she wouldn't be alone."

"Alright, you two are in," Jaune said, causing the two other boys to share a fist bump. "I mean, if that's okay with you, Blake. It is your plan, after all."

"Ugh... fine." Said girl said with a sigh. "I suppose we could use the extra help."

"Alright then. Sun, you go with Blake. You two are Faunus, so it would only make sense since you two are going to infiltrate on a White Fang base. Weiss and Ruby are still going to the CCT." He now addressed Neptune. "That means you're with me, Neptune."

"Cool." He said with a nod.

"Alright, see you all later on our meeting point. Stay safe and call if you need help." Jaune said once more. "Good luck, everyone."

 _Luck..._

Luckily, the trip to Junior's place isn't difficult. Besides being on the shady part of the town, the club is quite known for being well secured, and so are the streets leading to it. Still, the walk to get there would take quite a while. At least Neptune was a good conversation starter.

"So, yeah... That's why is only me and Sun for now." He finished his story of why the rest of his team wasn't around. "Personally I would have waited until the tournament as Well, but someone has to keep an eye out for our leader." Jaune chuckled at that.

"A wise decision." He joked. "Are you enjoying Vale so far?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "It is a pretty kingdom. Mistral is way more beautiful, by the way. But Vale is nice in its own way, nice weather, lots of pretty girls too." He paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, how is living in a dorm with three women?"

"It's not such a big deal. I mean, there were accidents in the few weeks, things like someone forgetting to lock the bathroom door and such, but we grew out of it. Found common ground, established rules. In a way, I'm glad I ended up with them. They're mostly organized and relatively peaceful." Jaune answers.

"Relatively?" Neptune pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"Ruby and Weiss used to fight for silly things every once in a while, but now things are really going well between those two. Unless Ruby forgets to do her homework, then we have to take cover under the beds." He said with a small smirk. Neptune gave a small laugh.

"What about you and Blake? Have you guys ever had a big fight?" Jaune frowned a bit, deep in thought.

"Well, there was that time I wanted to catch her attention and stole the book she was reading. She got really mad and didn't even looked at me for the following day. Also some small fights about random things, but nothing really big." He said, finally.

"That's good, I guess. Partners fight. I know Sun and I do all the time, but we all get over it. But with you and Blake I guess it makes more sense. I mean, if normal partners fight, partners who are dating must fight a lot more." Neptune said with a shrug. Jaune turned deep red.

"Blake and I are not dating!" He said loudly, perhaps a bit too fast. Neptune looked genuinely shocked by this new discovery.

"You're not?!" He asked once again, just to be certain. Jaune shook his head vigorously. "Sorry then, it's just... wow. You two look like you are together, you even act like this old married couple."

"We do not! Do we?" Jaune asked, to which Neptune grinned.

"Dude, you sure do. I met you guys like two weeks ago and I have rarely seen one of you without the other around." He pointed out.

"We're not always together. I mean, Blake likes to read alone at the library on weekdays, and even when we hang out together, we're with our friends most of the time." Jaune said, to which Neptune nodded.

"True, but you always stand next to each other, Blake hardly talks with anyone besides you. I mean, she talks when someone talks directly to her, but you are the only one she can actively start a conversation with, other than Weiss and Ruby. She smiles more when she talks with you, and you look happier talking to her, too." Neptune said, pausing to stretch his arms. "Sun also pretty much confirmed it to me by speaking of how much you care for her. Saying it was too bad that she was already with you."

"But we told him there was nothing going on with us... I thought he understood."

"Sun's a stubborn one, mind you. If he puts something on that big head of his, it's not changing too easily." Neptune sighed. "Hence why I am here."

"Well, Blake and I are just good friends, best friends. There's nothing romantic involved." Jaune assured Neptune, who just threw his hands up in the air on defeat.

"Fine! Whatever you say." He huffed. "Man, you're worse in this than Scarlet."

"Yeah, yeah... We're here." Jaune said as they approached the building. The entrance was empty, something they were hoping for. They arrived a little past sunset, so there wasn't a line to enter the club as it usually had. In an hour or two, however, people would start to crowd the place. They were greeted by the sight of a man wearing a black tux and a matching fedora. He looked at the two boys over his black glasses before straightening them.

"I'm sorry, the club won't be opened until 7 pm. You can stay here if you want, but I can't let you two in." He said while crossing his arms.

"We don't want to party, we just need to have a quick chat with Junior," Jaune said, to which the man raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"About what?" He asked, before stopping himself. "Nevermind, the boss wouldn't even talk to you two anyways. If that's why you came here for, I suggest you go."

"I was afraid you would say that," Jaune said with a small smile. "You see, a friend of mine indicated Junior to me. Does the nickname "Blondie" rings a bell?" The man's face visibly became paler. "I thought so. Well, you could let me in, or you could later explain to your boss why the club was once again trashed by a blonde person. If you think what she did was bad, I am able to defeat her in combat class." He heard the man gulp. "Your call."

"I-I'm gonna see if he's willing to see you." He said quickly, disappearing behind the huge entrance door. Neptune looked at Jaune with a mix of shock and surprise.

"Did you just threatened to destroy the place?" He asked with a hesitant look.

"Yang said they might be more compelling under a bit of pressure. Unlike her, however, I do not pretend to follow my word literally." Jaune said.

"He did seem pretty scared when you mentioned her," Neptune said, looking relieved. "Did she really trashed this place?"

"Yep. Not my tale to tell though. Let's just say he managed to get on her temper." He paused. "And caused the loss of a few strands of her hair." The blue hair headed boy winced.

"How is this place still standing?" Jaune snorts at his words.

"That, my friend, is a very nice question." They shared a brief laugh but stopped when the man came back. "So, is our entrance allowed?" The man nodded stiffly, an arm keeping the door opened so the two could pass. Once they were out of his earshot, Jaune looked back at Neptune. "See? It's all about asking the right way."

"Well, we're in." They now approached the bar. "Is that the guy?" He asked, gesturing towards a big man with a beard. His outfit different from the other workers of the club, making him stand out.

"Yep." Jaune and Neptune approached Junior, who greeted them with a frown.

"What do you want, kid?" He asked while cleaning a stained glass. "I don't have much time before we open, so don't keep me waiting."

"Fair enough," Jaune said. "What do you know about Torchwick's recent whereabouts?" Junior huffed.

"That's it?" He stifled a laugh. "Sorry, kid. I haven't heard of anything related to Torchwick since the docks incident. I guess you wasted your trip."

"How about before the event on the docks then?" Neptune inquired. Jaune looked at him with concealed surprise and thankfulness.

"A few dust robberies, but he had been out of the business for some time before the attack at the docks," Junior said with a shrug.

"Any of these involved the White Fang?" Junior shook his head.

"Not that I've heard of. He hired my men once or twice, but apparently wasn't satisfied with them." He glanced over at his employees. "Which is something I can relate to." He grunted, earning a "Hey!" or two from the nearest grunts.

"So, where are they?" Neptune asked, maybe with the intent of questioning them as well.

"The last ones I sent didn't come back," Junior said with shrug, but his eyes hardened.

"What do you mean?" Neptune asked, his body visibly tensed for a moment, but he shrugged it off. Junior's gaze turned towards him.

"What do you think it happened?" He huffed. "Look, since that day he stopped doing business here. That's all I know. Now everyone knows he's working with the White Fang, so maybe that's why."

"Is there something else you'd like to add?" Jaune inquired, desperate for any useful information he could gather. He kept his emotions in check, however.

"The time before he had hired my men, I heard they talking. They said it was weird that he was only robbing dust. He didn't even touch the money." Junior frowned and so did Jaune, but his frown was less noticeable. They already had that information, but Junior wasn't done." What would they even do with that much dust?" He rhetorically asked. "If every robbery he is accused of is confirmed as being his work, I can't see many places in Vale where he could hide it without gathering attention." He shrugged.

"So you're thinking of somewhere outside the kingdom?" Jaune asked, excited to have some new information.

"Maybe. I don't know him enough to know how he operates." Jaune nodded. It was something, at least. If Weiss and Ruby managed to gather the data from the SDC, plus Junior's guess, they would have something. "Are you satisfied?"

"I have one last question, then I promise we're out." Junior sighed but nodded nonetheless. "Have you any idea of when he started to only rob dust?"

"He always robbed dust stores, but usually for the money only," Junior said while in thought. "I'd say for about a year or so."

"Okay. Thank you for giving us information." Jaune said. "Next time we come back, will be with a couple more friends and plenty of lien to spend."

"If that's the case, hope to see you again." They shook hands briefly, followed by Jaune and Neptune leaving the place.

"That went better than expected," Neptune said, earning a nod from Jaune.

"We got some interesting information, but nothing really concrete. I just hope the others did better than us." He heard his scroll's ringtone, followed quickly by Neptune's. They both grabbed their scrolls and saw the same contact info. Jaune pressed accept without a second thought. "Blake, what's wrong?!" Blake was breathing erratically, and he could hear fast paced footsteps.

"Everyone, we need..." She was interrupted by the recognizable sound of Sun screaming for help and something about Torchwick being inside a giant robot.

"Where are you guys?" Neptune asked before Jaune could. Blake sent them the location of their scroll. Jaune's eyes widened when he saw their path.

"You two are heading straight to the highway! If Sun's not overreacting, you two are going to endanger civilians!" He heard Blake curse, something rare. He looked at the coordinates once again. "Try leading him to that construction field!"

"On it!" He heard Blake say before turning off the call.

"Where is that place?" Neptune asked, his eyes shifting between worry and determination.

"A few blocks from here." Jaune prepared to run but then chose to call a friend of his own. "Are you afraid of heights?" He asked Neptune, the boy looked confused at his question.

"No. Why..." The wind around them started to move faster, circling around them almost like they were on the eye of a hurricane. Suddenly it stopped, and a male figure, barely visible, stood in front of them.

"Anemoi, take us there." The figure nodded once before rising higher up in the air. Gravity seemed to vanish as Neptune and Jaune started floating. Anemoi blasted towards their destination in a burst of speed rival to Ruby's when someone yelled "Cookies!", dragging both boys behind it. It took less than a minute, but they managed to get there mostly unharmed. Both were a bit nauseous though. "Thanks, buddy. I'll call you again if I need you." The figure nodded once before dissipating completely."Are you okay?" He asked Neptune, who had a hand firmly clutched against his stomach.

"I'll survive." He answered back. Any time they would have to recover was taken from them when they heard loud mechanical noises approaching fast. Jaune readied his sword and shield and Neptune grabbed the gun from his back. The familiar silhouettes of Sun and Blake made themselves clear at the distance, followed by a big robot chasing after them. Neptune started to shoot it from a safe distance, giving a moment of distraction for Sun and Blake to join them.

"I guess your cover was blown," Jaune said to Blake, both assuming fighting stances as the robot kept approaching.

"Shut up." She said sharply. "Do you have a plan?"

"I thought you wanted me to shut up." He said playfully. The look she sent him, however, made him sigh and shook his head. "It's not like we were planning to fight a giant robot. I can try to adapt some team strategies for attacking big Grimm, but we don't know it's weaknesses."

"Electricity, maybe?" Sun inquired, ducking beneath a barrage of bullets fired from the robot's turrets. The others took cover as well.

"My rounds didn't do much against it," Neptune said from behind a pile of concrete blocks. "They're infused with Lighting Dust."

"Okay, good to know," Jaune called back. " We need to distract it and break those turrets."

"How do you plan to do that?" Blake asked tight beside him. Before he had a chance to answer, a volley of bullets fired towards them was blocked by a giant glyph. They turned around to face Weiss.

"I can't hold it for long!" She said with a scowl. "Get out of there!" They did ask, the bullets now pierced the ground they were previously standing in.

"Where's Ruby?" Jaune asked Weiss, who just shrugged, rapier in hand.

"We found Penny on our way to the CCT, we split up." She said. "But we can talk about that later."

"Right. Everyone, Weiss and I will distract it, I want you all to destroy those weapons!" He received some nods and watched as the group scattered. "Winter Soldier!"

The ground trembled as he summoned Theodore. The golden was a bit smaller compared to the robot but would make an excellent distraction. Then, Weiss created a glyph beneath it. Ice began to cover the rock, creating some sort of armor around Theodore. Two ice blades replaced his hands. Theodore and the robot engaged in a series of punches, causing some dents to the metallic shell. Suddenly Blake leaped into action, slashing a turret off before jumping away safely, leaving nothing but a clone behind. Torchwick seemed to have enough because missile launchers sprouted from the robots back. With the press of a button, Theodore was reduced to a pile of rubble. Jaune and Weiss had to dodge to avoid being hit. Torchwick then targeted them with his remaining turret but was hit by bullets coming from Neptune and Sun. Before he could recover and shoot, Jaune spotted a flash of red. Ruby stood on top of a nearby building. Jaune looked towards Blake, who saw her arrival as well.

"Guillotine!" He screamed, moving his shield over his head and positioning himself as a platform. Blake jumped on top of it, he gave her impulse causing her to rise upwards, Ruby did the same with her bullets, but she went forward instead, getting closer to her target. Blake threw her whip towards Ruby, who managed to perfectly grab it. Ruby fired a shot upwards as Blake went down, using her full force to pull Ruby towards the robot. With a final shot to give some extra impulse, Crescent rose slashed through the remaining turret and the arm of the robot. Blake then pulled the whip, making Ruby go backward and getting her out of the danger zone. While they regrouped, Sun and Neptune managed to incapacitate the missile launchers momentarily. They seemed to malfunction after Neptune stabbed it with his gun, which was now a trident. "Alright, we need to finish it off. Weiss, how much ice dust you have left?"

"I'm practically full." She said, not able to contain the surprised tone of her voice. "I thought I had much less dust after our distraction."

"That's great. We'll combo that thing with team attacks. First, you and Ruby use Edelweiss to trap it, then Blake and I will finish it with Stealth Rock. Alright?" After receiving confident nods from his teammates, Jaune steadied himself. "Neptune! Sun! Take cover!" They both got the message and dodged before the first shots from Crescent Rose were fired. These were different, however. Weiss had summoned glyphs at the very end of Crescent Rose, infusing the bullets with ice dust, causing them to explode and freeze after making contact. It served its purpose of slowing the robot down. Jaune and Blake then dashed forwards, the latter a bit ahead of the former. Jaune raised his hand, and with it the concrete blocks levitated from the ground, serving as platforms for Blake to jump on. As soon as her feet left a block, Jaune would then throw it at the robot, causing dent after dent to appear. After ten blocks or so, the outer shell of the robot was completely wrecked. Blake then leaped down with a decisive slash, causing it to fall apart and revealing a very startled Torchwick. He jumped off what was left of the robot and was quickly cornered by the six teenagers against a near building.

"Well, that didn't go as planned." He said, his voice still steady and cocky. He pressed his cane to the ground with both hands.

"Give up. You're surrounded and outnumbered." Sun said, his staff ready to deliver some blows.

"Nah. It's been a pleasure to see you all, but I got things to do, places to be, people to command. So Neo, if you would." In a flash of light, a small figure appeared between them and Torchwick. She held a parasol, and like the criminal, she also had a smug look. Her color scheme was interesting, to say the least, and she couldn't be taller than Weiss. Mismatched eyes and a confident smirk greet them. The grip on their weapons tightened at the new threat. After a couple seconds of what seemed to be a staring competition, since both sides refused to move, Sun tried to hit them both with his staff, only for the two of them to literally shatter I'm hundreds of pieces. The sound of a Bullhead was heard, and they could barely identify the two figures going away with it. With the danger gone, they lowered their weapons.

"It could've been worse," Jaune said after a moment of silence. "After all, we're still alive and kicking."

"Yeah." Sun scratched the back of his head. "We almost got Torchwick, though."

"But it seems like he has new henchmen." Blake added with a sigh.

"She really made our plans..." Weiss paused for a moment, getting everyone's attention. "Fall apart." She earned a series of grunts with that pun.

"Weiss, no! Not you too!" Ruby pleaded. "I can't let Yang corrupt you!"

"What? I thought it was good! Was this not it?" The heiress asked her hands on her hips.

"It was terrible." Blake blurted out before someone else could.

"I think it was _punny_." Jaune joked, earning a groan from his partner, who nudged him with her elbow.

"Not you too. Now is not the moment for jokes. I just want to get back to Beacon, take a shower and head straight to bed." Blake said with a tired sigh.

"Ditto," Weiss said. "Tomorrow we can gather everything we found out."

"Well, Neptune and I were actually thinking of spending the night out in the city, you know? I'm going to show him some of the cool places you showed me and stuff." Sun said, his left arm around his partner's shoulders. "We'll still meet you guys tomorrow if you need us."

"Sure. We'll see you two tomorrow then. Have fun, you two. But take care." Jaune said, his tone bordering between seriousness and amusement.

"Sure, dad," Sun answered back with a grin. "See ya!" The duo then walked away, leaving them alone.

"Ugh... I'm tired." Ruby said. "Today was cool, though. I got to hang out with Penny, fought a giant robot... I'm hungry, though. Can we stop somewhere to eat?"

"I don't oppose to that, actually," Weiss added.

"Me neither," Blake said. "I could eat a Beowolf."

"Do you guys have any ideas of where would you like to stop?" Jaune asked his team, glad they were all well and unharmed from the fight. What would they find, though, worried him a lot. But as long as they were together, they surely could handle it.

* * *

 **Ugh, I hated the end of this chapter. I pictured something more natural, you know? The fight seemed rushed, and so forced. I wanted something more organic, more fluid... *sighs* I even took an extra day to try and fix it but... well, still not satisfied. Sorry for the delay, btw. Writer's block got me again. At least I got the next chapters really planned out, so you guys don't need to worry about that.**

 **Thanks for reading! Even though I'm not satisfied with it.**

 **Next chapter: June 3rd.**


	15. Chapter 14: Intimacy

**Hi, everyone! How are you all doing?**

 **There's the chapter, finally. I really liked writing this one, so I hope you enjoy reading it as well.**

 **newwriter2016 (chapter 14): The name was a pain, really. I found "Legacy" to be the most fitting, although a bit generic. I guess it could be worse, right?**

* * *

"And that's the match." Jaune cheered for Pyrrha with the rest of their class. She defeated team CRDL by herself. The result was not surprising since their teamwork sucked, but still... that spoke volumes of her skill. "Well done, Miss Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament."

"Thank you, professor," Pyrrha said, giving the teacher a shy smile before heading out of the stage.

"Alright." Glynda turned her attention to her scroll. "Now, I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" Her eyes wandered around the classroom, fixing at Blake. "Miss Belladonna?" Blake was startled by the teacher's voice, dropping her book. "You've been rather docile for the past few classes. Why don't you –"

"I volunteer," Jaune said, not missing the thankful look Blake sent him. He was not the only one to volunteer, however. A silver-haired exchanged student had also raised his hand.

"Excellent then, the match will be between Jonathan Beauregard and Mercury Black." She said after a few taps on her scroll. "Get to your positions."

His opponent wasn't satisfied with the pairing, Jaune was quick to notice. Still, he readied himself in a fighting stance. He was a close range fighter if Jaune remembered correctly. Focused on kicking rather than punching. A plan began to form in his head as the fight started. His opponent attacked first, delivering a roundhouse kick to his stomach area, but that was quickly blocked by Jaune's shield. The next kick was sent to his side, and he wasn't fast enough to block it. He bashed Mercury on his ribcage with his shield, forcing him to go back. He fired some shots at him, trying to keep the distance between them. None of them hit the target, however. Mercury was just too fast.

Rocky hands erupted from the ground, trying to grab Mercury's legs and make him stay still. He avoided most hits with difficulty, allowing Jaune to predict his movements and fire precise ice dust infused shots at him. That seemed to slow him down, and Jaune decided to risk it and confront him at a closer range. His moves were definitely slower but still were precise. The exchange of blows didn't last long, however, seeing as the bell rang before they could finish the fight.

"That's it for today, class. Unfortunately, we do not have time to finish this match. Mr. Beauregard, you did well to identify your opponent's strengths and knew when to go for a different approach. The match was over too soon to get a conclusive result, but if this was a tournament style match, you'd have won due to your Aura being slightly higher." She turned to face Mercury. "Mr. Black, while your technique is flawless, it would do good to add more versatility to it. You can easily overcome an opponent at close combat, but there's no point in that if you can't get to them. However, it was a good match, short as it was. Let's only hope we'll be able to see the conclusion of it at the tournament. Class dismissed."

"Good match," Jaune said to the boy, who just nodded back.

"Thanks. You fought well." He said, his voice a bit off, but Jaune ignored that. He went outside to meet his team. He made it in time to see Sun approaching his team as well.

"Hey, guys!" He said, a bit tense.

"Hi, Sun." Ruby greeted him back.

"Hey, Ruby! Uh.. Well, I heard there's going to be a dance this weekend... and I was thinking it would be nice if we went together. What do you think?" Ruby turned deep red and was a mess of words. He heard a yes in the middle of her rambling. Weiss decided she had enough of her partner's awkwardness.

"She said yes," Weiss said. "She'll meet you outside the dorms at seven. Don't be late."

"Yes, ma'am." He said excitedly. "See you tomorrow, Ruby!"

"Uh... See you!" She exclaimed back as he walked away back to his teammates.

"Ooooh. Looks like someone got a date for the dance." Jaune said with a smirk. "You and Sun, huh? Who would have guessed?"

"S-Shut up John! It's not like that!" Her eyes widened and she turned to Weiss. "Is it?"

"Only if you want it to be," Weiss reassured her. "Don't listen to him, though. There's no pressure on you." Ruby visibly relaxed.

"Thanks, Weiss." She turned to Blake, who was awfully quiet. "What about you, Blake? Are you excited for the dance?"

"I don't have time for a stupid dance." She let out a huff. "I was hoping that you guys of all people would understand."

 _Understand..._

"Blake, I don't understand... you aren't sleeping well, you barely eat not to mention you don't pay attention to classes. What's going on?" Jaune asked Blake once they were in their dorm.

"Do you think I care about classes? People's lives are at stake!" She exclaimed.

"We know, and we're all still trying to figure out Torchwick's plans," Ruby said. "But that's not an excuse for you to stop taking care of yourself."

"We've already found out so much. We know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale." Weiss remembered her. "Not to mention the SDC records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the past few months."

"Don't forget about the possibility of Torchwick being working for someone else, and the missing military tech from Atlas." Jaune complemented.

"But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake shouts, blind to what they were trying to tell her.

"But it isn't your job to answer all of them by yourself!" Jaune snapped. "You doing this to yourself will only make things worse!" He took a deep breath. "You need to take it easy."

"I am perfectly fine!" Her three teammates didn't believe her, however.

"You should go to the dance with us. Relax for at least a day or two." Ruby said. "It will be fun! Plus, once it's all over, we'll return to our research. Rested and ready!"

"You should go," Weiss said. "It's a prestigious event. Yang and I are organizing it since team CFVY's mission is lasting longer than expected. It would mean a lot to all of us if we could spend this time together."

"So, what do you think, partner?" Jaune asked reluctantly.

"I think this is a colossal waste of time." She said, walking away. "I'll be at the library." She left, and the group let out a collective sigh.

"I'll talk to her," Jaune said, opening the door. He faced Yang, her eyes lit ablaze.

"Ruby! Who's the guy who asked you out?!" He stepped out of the way. A wise decision as he heard Ruby squeal in horror. He had more important matters to take care of. He would text Sun, however. The poor guy could use a head start, he'd better start running soon.

 _Running..._

He wouldn't let her run away from this conversation. He found her on her way to the library, but before she could turn to the corridor that would take her to her destination, he ran towards her.

"John? What are you-" He didn't let her finish, leading her towards an empty classroom. "What are we doing here?"

"Blake. This has to stop." He said with a sigh.

"Didn't I made myself clear? There's nothing wrong with me." She said, arms crossed. "Maybe the problem is on you all. Acting like nothing happened, like there isn't something bad being orchestrated outside this walls!"

"Blake." His voice was serious now. "Please, sit down." She huffed and turned around to leave. Jaune frowned before making a rock wall to block the door. "No running, no stalling. Just _please_ , sit down and listen." With her only exit blocked, Blake complied.

"Fine. Go ahead, tell me how I'm wrong." She basically spits those words. For someone who barely had the energy to stand up properly, her words still packed a bite.

"Do you think I don't know how it is to feel powerless?" His voice was so low that he only knew she had heard him because of her Faunus senses. He slowly raised his voice, however. "My family was killed, one by one, trying to either protect me or aiding me in my escape."

"I know the White Fang took a lot from you, and that's why I don't understand why you of all people-" Her words stung, badly.

"Blake!" That silenced her. He took a deep breath before continuing. "It wasn't the White Fang who killed my family. They worked with a human."

"That's-"

" _Please_ , don't. Let me finish." She frowned slightly but nodded. "I'm not a Beauregard, not by blood. You all know that. However, I never told you all my real name." He took his sword from his hip, pressing a very well hidden button at the handle. It was one of the few modifications made to the sword, besides the color scheme. The handle reformed, revealing a new symbol. Instead of two crescent moons forming an X, they were now aligned. Blake didn't recognize the symbol immediately. Jaune noticed that, if only she had been paying attention to Oobleck's classes.

"The Arc Crest." She whispered after a few moments of thinking. "Does that mean that you're the boy whose corpse couldn't be found? The one Weiss mentioned?"

"Yes." It was all he said. He expected her to raise some questions. At least the shock made her forget about the White Fang. At least for now.

"That explains why your... _grandmother_ did what she did." She realized. "I can understand now. It makes sense. She wouldn't just wipe out your memories only for the sake of doing that. She was protecting you." She turned to face him. "Why?"

"My family was hunted by a man. I don't know why he did it, I know it was because of something between him and my parents, but I'm not certain of that either. He's the reason my family's dead. And right now he is sitting on the throne that once was my father's."

"King Michael..." Blake realized. "There were theories of him possibly being aligned with the attack, but the White Fang took whole responsibility..." She gasped. He let the words sink. Blake was now speechless, no snarky remarks, no glares, nor frowns. Just plain shock.

"To make things worse, I'm pretty sure he knows I'm here," Jaune said after a few moments. "He's done nothing but killing his way to the top. I'm the only menace to his position. As you could probably guess, things are not going well on my side."

"We can find a way," Blake said, now looking determined. "I'm sure that if we investigate the White Fang enough, we can find some kind of proof that he was involved with the murders. I'm pretty sure there's an old White Fang base outside Northwest Vale that could probably hold some information, but we wouldn't get anything conclusive unless we went to an Atlesian base. Maybe we could ask Weiss..."

"Blake, stop." He sighed. "Look, thank you for caring and thank you for believing in me, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. I mean, I have a literal target painted on my back, yet you don't see me checking every room, every corridor I go through. You don't see me interrogating people, you don't see me losing things like sleep or meals." He really hoped his words would make sense to her. "I can't keep stressing myself over the thought that he may be after me. That'll do nothing to me. Instead of letting my fears consume me, I chose to move past them. I still worry about them? Yes. I'll still try to make some kind of precautions? Yes. But I'll never let them destroy me like you are letting your fears destroy you."

"I'm not destroying myself." She said, head held high.

"Yes, you are! You are destroying yourself over this! Do you think that being tired and paranoid will help you against Torchwick?! You might as well deliver yourself on a silver plate. By allowing yourself to get in that state, you're only helping the people who you're trying to fight." He was on the verge of tears, and he sounded desperate because he really was. "So _please,_ get some rest. _Please,_ try to eat more than half an apple every meal. If not for you, then for me. For the people who you're fighting for." She stood silent, and he wrapped her in a hug. "Our team loves you, Blake. I do, too. I lost so many people I love already... But losing you to yourself would be the worst of all of them."

Without a word, he dismissed the rock wall blocking the door. He walked towards the door, his hand was now on the handle.

"Also, if you decide to go to the dance tomorrow... I'll save you a dance. Maybe two." He said with a smile he knew she couldn't see. Without looking back, he left her alone. It was a hard talk, he could use something to distract him. Perhaps Weiss and Yang could use some help putting up everything for the dance.

 _Everything..._

"I don't want to go anymore!" Ruby exclaimed, trying her best to stand up properly on her new pair of red heels. "How can you possibly fight wearing these?!"

"Nonsense! You'll go. Sun is waiting for you and you know how difficult it was to Jaune Jayne and I to convince Yang not to break his legs? Especially with Nora cheering for Yang." The heiress said. She then turned to face Jaune, who was having difficulties with his tie. She rolled her eyes before doing the knot correctly. She was wearing a simple white dress, which resembled her usual combat attire, but without the bolero. Like Ruby's, the dress had lace covering her shoulders.

"Thank you. Weiss's right Ruby. Just calm down and be yourself. No pressure, it's just a dance. All of us will be there and just have fun." Jaune said. "Plus, you look great."

"Thanks, John. You look great as well." Ruby smiled, looking at herself in the mirror. The wine red dress with black lacing really fit her nicely. "Have you seen Blake anywhere?"

"Not since this morning." He said. "At least she spent the whole night on her bed. Maybe she'll meet us there."

"Yeah, maybe..." Ruby sighed as they went outside. Ruby was holding onto Jaune's arm so she wouldn't fall. They found Sun outside the building. He was surprisingly well dressed for the occasion. He was on a tux similar to Jaune's, but he had completely discarded the tie and the vest, plus his shirt had one or two buttons undone. Honestly, Jaune was surprised that he had a shirt on. "H-Hi Sun."

"Hey, Ruby." Ruby detached herself from Jaune's arm and walked towards Sun. She tripped, however. He managed to grab her before she fell. "Stupid lady shoes." She mumbled under her breath. Sun caught her words and let out an awkward laugh.

"I wish I hadn't to wear these, also. These clothes are so tight! But no, Neptune insisted on me wearing these. I wish I could just wear my usual clothes." He said.

"I know right!" Ruby exclaimed, holding his arm. "Uh... Do you mind?"

"Nah. I think it would be best if you don't fall into the ground." He leaned to her ear and whispered. "As soon as we get away from them, we'll throw these off the cliff, deal?" Ruby stifled a laugh.

"Deal." She whispered back.

"I take it back. Those two are perfect for each other." Weiss said when they were out of sight.

"Who would've thought?" Jaune said with a smirk.

"They share the same social awkwardness, that's for sure." They both turned around to face Blake. She wore a black and purple dress with a small slit that revealed just a bit of skin. The dark circles around her eyes had fainted a bit, almost gone with some light make up. "Am I too late?"

"Just in time," Jaune said, offering her his arm. "With you going now, I think we might be the best-looking team at Beacon."

"Don't flatter yourself," Weiss said with a smirk. "I'll let you two alone." She quickened her pace, creating some distance between them before going after Sun and Ruby.

"Does that mean that we're going together?" He asked her.

"Technically. You do owe me a dance or two." She said with a smile. She looked quickly looked around before grasping his arm a little tighter. "Thank you for telling me the truth. I... I want you to know that I'll be there for you. I won't let anyone take you away from us." He smiled back at her.

"Thank you, but for now... let's just have some fun."

* * *

 **Next Chapter: June 17th.**


	16. Chapter 15: First Mission!

**Sorry for the delay, guys! I spent this weekend with some High School friends, I haven't seen them since December! I really missed those guys, and gals, and non-binary pals (That reference, tho). Anyway, we went to the movies, spent time together and all that. Wonder Woman is a great movie, by the way, I'd recommend it.**

 **So, sorry, but not really :P.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, we'll have more action on the next one, I promise.**

* * *

"So, are you guys ready for our mission?" He asked his teammates, who showed similar faces of excitement.

"Finally! I'm so excited we get to work with a real Huntsman!" Ruby said. "I mean, the dance was nice and all that, but I just can't wait for our mission to start!"

"It was a great night indeed," Weiss said. "I particularly enjoyed when Yang chased after Sun when you kissed his cheek at the end of the night."

"It was amusing to see his facial expressions change from surprised to terrified," Blake added with a smile. Ruby could only groan in embarrassment.

"She went a little overboard, yes." She said sheepishly. "But it was a fun night! We all danced together and had fun. We needed that break."

"Couldn't have said it better," Jaune said with a smile. "But then there was the attack at the CCT. I wonder who did it."

"It was a smart move indeed," Weiss added with a sigh. "All the students and teachers were at the dance. It was the perfect opportunity. Even though there were soldiers, they're nothing compared to a Huntsman with Aura."

"That only proves that I was right," Blake said, earning a sour look from Jaune. "Except for the 'working myself until exhaustion' thing. You were right about that."

"And don't you dare to forget it." He said with a half smile. "By the way., Yang said she got something to show you, Ruby. It seems like you got a package from home."

"Oooooh! I wonder what it is! Dad always sends us the weirdest stuff through the mail." She said before disappearing in a blur of red petals. "Be right back!"

"So, what do you think about our mission?" Blake asked Jaune while they waited for Ruby.

"We still have to see what the mission is going to be, but I just hope everything goes well. It's our first official mission together, you know?" He said with a smile. "I just want to be memorable."

"It is a special date on our careers, indeed," Weiss said. "I loved hearing my sister talk about her missions, but I liked the story of her first mission the most."

"Why? What was the mission?" Jaune asked in an attempt of maintaining the conversation.

"It was nothing much, her team being of first years at the time. They just had to hunt Grimm near a village that had been suffering attacks. In the end, it was a great experience for her team. Brought them closer. She still did missions with them after she graduated, until..." Her smile fell. "Well, after her partner was murdered at Arkend she enlisted in the military." She faced her two teammates. "I wonder if we'll do the same." After a moment of awkward, confused silence, she clarified her words. "Do missions together after we graduate, I mean."

"I hope so," Jaune said. "I like our team, we work well together. We get along most of the time." He joked. "It would be hard, though. Ruby and I would most likely stay here at Vale. You may go back to Atlas and Blake... Wait, I don't think you ever mentioned where you came from, did you?"

"Not really." She said with a sigh. "I'm from Menagerie."

"So, yeah. It might be difficult. But, who knows? We still have three and a half years to go! It's a lot of time for our lives to change." He said in a hopeful tone. Their conversation was interrupted by a high-pitched scream coming from outside.

"Zwei!" They recognized Ruby's voice. She came back to the room as fast as she left, but now with a fluffy black and white corgi on her arms. Blake backed away from it immediately. "Team, this is Zwei! Zwei, this is my team!" The dog hopped from her arms and sniffed the air around Weiss and Jaune as if analyzing them. He barked once and sat down, his little tail flapping wildly.

"He is adorable," Jaune said, crouching to pet Zwei. "And he knows it too, just look at that face. Aw, I will love you forever!" Weiss looked at the display as if she wanted to join him, but then the reality of the situation made her snap out of it.

"Wait, you dad sent a dog in the mail?!" She asked, to which Ruby only shrugged. Yang heard the commotion and made herself in.

"Oh, he does stuff like that every time. He also sent us a letter, I was going to read it to you, but then you ran out of the room like a hurricane." She said to Ruby, who laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry. What did it say?"

"Dad's basically leaving him with us for a week or two. Apparently, he started to take missions again now that we're both grown up." She said with a smile. "Good for him, but he could have chosen a better time. At least he packed the food, too."

"I want to pet him again!" Nora exclaimed as she entered the room, followed by an apologetic Ren and an amused Pyrrha. Nora says down by Jaune's side and started petting the dog as well. "Can he sleep in my bed? Please!"

"There is the matter as to where he'll stay," Ren added.

"I want him out of our room," Blake said. She was on top of Ruby's bed and seemed very determined to fight for her cause.

"Oh, come on Blake! You're perpetuating the stereotype! Let him stay in our dorm, please!" Ruby asked, adding her puppy eyes for good measure. Blake's face was as serious as before.

"No." She deadpanned.

"Oh my, you're a soulless monster," Yang said in awe. "Not even Uncle Qrow can resist Ruby's puppy eyes." She kneels towards Blake. "Please, teach me your ways!"

"Yang!" Blake huffed. "Why don't we put into a vote then? Those in favor of Zwei staying in team LPYN's room say yes.

"Yes." Was the immediate response from Nora, Yang, and Pyrrha. Nora punched Ren lightly in the arm, making the boy sigh and then say the same.

"Plus my vote, there's five against maybe three. He won't stay." Blake finished, crossing her arms. Jaune picked Zwei up from the floor and walked towards her.

"Aw, come on Blake! Look inside this adorable creature's eyes and tell him you don't love him!" An inhuman sound came out from Blake, making Jaune snort. "Did you just hiss at him?" She had the decency to look partially embarrassed, her cheeks had now with a slight hint of pink.

"No, it was a product of your fertile imagination." She said.

"But we all heard..."

"Fertile imagination." She insisted, hopping off the bed and heading outside. "Anyway, we have to go. It's time for the headmaster's speech.

"Yeah! You guys go on ahead." Ruby said while scratching the back of her head. "I have to finish packing some stuff. I'll get some water and food for Zwei, too. He must be hungry from being inside a package all day."

"Sure, we'll meet you there," Jaune said as the rest of the group left. He grabbed his bag and waved a quick goodbye to Ruby.

 _Bag..._

Ruby arrived just in time for the speech. She left her bag next to his and made her way to their side.

"Finally! You almost lost the speech!" Weiss scolded her partner, who mumbled a sorry. Professor Goodwitch walked upon the stage.

"Quiet! Quiet, please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." The room went silent and waited for the headmaster to walk up to the microphone.

"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. Four of the five Kingdoms of Remnant. Nearly sixty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, greed, and oppression. A war that was much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being freedom of speech and art. Others fought for the recognition of their kind, to conquer the rights that were taken by arrogance, racism and outdated laws. A fight that keeps going until our current days. A fight that won't stop until both sides leave aside their differences and work together to achieve peace." His eyes seemed to move towards team BWBR. "Freedom is not something to be given and taken for the sake of a goal. People need liberty as much as they need air. Without it, we can't live. Without it, there's only darkness. You are the next generation of Huntsman and Huntresses, you are supposed to fight the darkness in our world. You stand here in this room, together and in peace, in terms of friendship and comradery. May you shape the future to be even brighter than today, while we, your headmasters and teachers, guarantee you have the freedom to do so." He paused for a few seconds, allowing the words to sink in. "Today you'll take a huge step for your journey. As first-year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you might be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best.

After a round of applause following the headmaster's words, the students began to file out of the amphitheater.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in on the southeast!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Yes, let's hope there's one available," Jaune said with a tight smile. "Any ideas on where to begin?"

"Let's check 'Search and destroy' first," Weiss suggested, and the team approached the nearest holographic screen. Jaune started to scroll down the missions until he found what seemed to be the perfect match.

"Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out. It should be easy enough for us, and will give us time to slip away and make our research." He said, selecting the mission.

"It is in the southeast, it's a start," Blake said hopefully, her hopes fell, however, after her leader tried to type their team name and the screen flashed red.

"First years not allowed." Jaune sighed. "That's just great."

"Any other ideas?" Blake asked him. Jaune could only shake his head negatively.

"Oh! We mail ourselves there!" Ruby suggested, earning a collective sigh from the other three.

"Well, that's one option." They were surprised to see Ozpin approach them, scroll in hand. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose." They shared a few distressed looks, their nervousness apparent.

"We can search for other mission, professor. After all, there are many others for us to choose." Jaune said in an apologetic tone.

"I'm still curious about how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know why you are so interested in the southeast specifically. And I certainly wonder why some construction workers reported seeing rose petals and a destroyed robot in their working site some time ago." They were speechless by his words. Ozpin smiled before continuing, now in an amused tone. "I doubt I'll ever find the answers that I'm looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" After a pressing a few things in his scroll, the holographic screen assigned their team to the mission. The group shared similar looks of surprise and confidence.

"We won't let you down. Thank you, Professor Ozpin." Jaune said, speaking for his team.

"Do not thank me for this. I'm only practicing what I preached." He said with a small smile before his voice assumed a more serious tone. "Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you behind the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory." He clears his throat. "Good luck."

 _Luck..._

"We were lucky things turned out the way they did," Jaune said, a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders. "That could have gone really badly."

"True. But what he said at the end has me worried a little." Weiss said with a sigh.

"But it's the truth." Blake chimed in. "Life outside the walls is hard."

"It's going to be tough, but I know we can do it!" Ruby exclaimed, somewhat lifting up their morale.

"Ruby's right," Jaune said confidently. "We trained hard, we work well together, and we are some of the best fighters Beacon has to offer. I believe in our team."

"You sound a little naive, but who am I to argue," Weiss said with a small smirk. "We are skilled."

"Hey! Team CFVY is back!" They heard a student say. Team CFVY was exiting their bullhead. Their mission took way longer than anticipated, so their arrival was received with a warm welcome.

"Velvet!" Ruby walked towards the brunette girl, her team right behind her.

"Hey, Ruby!" Velvet greeted back. "John, Weiss, Blake. How're you guys?"

"We're doing fine, thanks. We're heading to our first mission now." Jaune said with a smile. "Speaking of, why did your mission take so long?"

"Well, it all went as it was supposed to, but there were just too many." She seemed to notice their surprised looks and tried to reassure them. "But don't worry, you first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen. Just stay near him and you'll be fine." Her team started to walk away. "I should go, though. I missed sleeping in my bed. Good luck to you guys!"

"Thanks, Velvet! Get some rest!" Ruby exclaimed as Velvet walked away. "Is good to have them back."

"Yeah, they deserve a break after that mission," Jaune said. "Now, let's keep going. We don't want to let our Huntsman waiting."

 _Huntsman..._

To say they were surprised to know that Doctor Oobleck was their assigned Huntsman was a euphemism. The Doctor shared a few words with them before running to the bullhead.

"Well, it could be worse," Blake said in an attempt to lift up the mood.

"Yeah, it could have been Port," Weiss said, the four feeling a chill up their spines just by thinking about it.

"Are you guys going without saying goodbye?" They heard Yang say from behind them. They turned around to see the faces of team LPYN. Yang gave her sister a tight hug. "Take care, little sis."

"Thanks, Yang. You too." Ruby said, returning the hug. "You're leaving already, too?"

"Our mission is tomorrow morning, unfortunately," Ren answered for her.

"I'm so jealous of you guys! Leaping into action without us!" Nora exclaimed in a faux tone of betrayal.

"I'm sure there will be other opportunities, Nora," Pyrrha said. "I also wish you all good luck. Take care out there."

"Run along girls! And lad!" Doctor Oobleck exclaimed from the bullhead. "We are six minutes late!"

"Well, you heard the man," Jaune said with a sigh. "See you guys soon. Good luck tomorrow."

"Bye!" Ruby said, a bit too quickly.

"Wait, Ruby, where's Zwei? I spoke to Velvet and she agreed to look after him while we're out." Yang asked her sister, who laughed innocently.

"Oh, right! I was so excited that I forgot to tell you. He's in our room. I gave him some food." She said, again, a bit too quickly. Yang mistook her attitude for excitement and let her go away with it.

"Okay then, I'll get him. Good luck you guys!" After the goodbye, the team hurried to the bullhead, unaware of Ruby's bag moving slightly during their whole flight.

* * *

 **I was inspired by Zaheer from The Legend of Korra during Ozpin's speech. Say whatever you want about Aang, but Korra has the best villains.**

 **Next chapter: 1st of July (hopefully ;))**


	17. Chapter 16: Pursuit

**Hello, everyone! Here's today's chapter. I hope you all like it.**

* * *

"So, what exactly is our mission, professor?" Jaune asked once they were inside the bullhead.

"Doctor." Oobleck corrected." Well, young man, the southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!"

"Mountain Glenn," Weiss said before anyone could. "It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end, it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city."

"Precisely! And now it stays abandoned as a dark reminder..."

"And a likely place for a hideout " Blake added, suddenly more interested in the mission than before.

"Exactly." The Doctor said, adjusting his glasses. "We will arrive there in a couple of hours. This is the best moment to take some rest, you'll need to be fully energized for when we arrive! Now, if you excuse me, I'll be at the cabin with the pilot."

"Sure, but... And he's gone." In a blink of an eye Oobleck ran towards the cabin, leaving the students alone. Jaune sighed. "Well, you heard the man. If you're still tired, this is the only chance we'll have to get a few hours of rest until we set camp later."

"I don't know if I'll be able to rest, I'm so excited!" Ruby said with a smile.

"You should consider, anyway," Weiss said, sitting down next to a wall. "I could use some rest."

"Same," Jaune said, his eyes moving towards Blake. "You should rest, too. I know you barely slept."

"I'm fine." She dismissed his worries or tried to. Her slightly heavy eyes told him another story, however.

"I don't want to know, you're taking a nap, young lady!" He said in a semi-serious tone. "Or at least you're going to sit down and relax. Like what Weiss is doing." He said, gesturing towards the heiress, who now kept a light conversation with Ruby. The red reaper now sat by her partner's side and seemed as excited as before.

"Fine." She said with a sigh. "I guess I can afford a few hours of doing nothing." They sat down on the opposite side of the opened doors, granting them a view of the terrain outside the aircraft.

"How are you feeling about this mission?" He asked her after a while.

"I'm excited that we're finally doing this. I've wanted to put a stop to their actions for so long now, but... There's a part of me that's afraid this might be too much for us, and honestly it feel like it is. What if you all were right and we're not ready?" She frowned. "What if one of us get hurt, or worse..."

"Hey, stop." He said in a soothing voice. "We have a Huntsman with us, a pretty good one too, if he teaches at Beacon. Plus, there's no way to tell if we're going to find the White Fang there in the first place. For all we know, the Grimm may be attracted by some bad energy coming from the city or something. And even if they're there, we'll be able to fight them off." He smiled, and she hesitantly returned it. "Because if there's something I learned at Beacon, it is that whoever makes Blake Belladonna mad has no chance of escaping her fury." She gently scoffed at him, slapping his arm playfully. "So stop worrying too much, I like confident and determined Blake the most."

"You idiot..." She muttered under her breath, hiding a light blush. "Thanks for the pep talk, I guess." She leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to use me as your pillow?" He asked, somewhat amused.

"Silence, pillow." She said sardonically, her eyes still closed. In the end, he also made himself comfortable beside her. Sleep came fast, and gently.

 _Fast..._

The Bullhead hovered a few meters above their objective. The four students jumped out of the aircraft, landing already in their fighting stances. Doctor Oobleck followed suit, landing a few meters behind them. The Bullhead hovered around for a few more seconds before disappearing in the horizon, as fast as it came.

"Ladies, and lad!" He adds after a almost imperceptible pause. "You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses and Hunter has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" The four students nod, but then the Doctor notices something out of place. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."

"Uh..."

"Actually, Doctor Oobleck, you didn't," Jaune answered for her. "We all have our bags here." He finished, gesturing towards his own backpack.

"Oh, my!" He took a sip from his coffee canister. "Very well, students. Leave your bags here, we can pick it up upon our return."

"But won't we need our supplies?" Blake asked while putting her own bag down.

"I have packed everything we will need. Seeing as we will set up in many different places instead of a single base, bringing additional equipment would only make us waste time and energy."

"But, I, uh..." Ruby held the straps of her bag more firmly. Her bag seemed to twitch violently.

"Young lady! What could you possibly have in that bag that..." A head of pure canine adorableness poked out of the bag and barked once, as it to say 'Hello, world!'. Jaune sighed softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I should have guessed." Weiss mumbled to herself by his side." She was suspiciously quiet on our way here."

"We are here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?" Weiss facepalmed at his tone of voice. Ruby didn't knew what to do or what to say. Her worries were washed away, however, when Doctor Oobleck snatched Zwei from her and spun him in the air. "Genius! Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" Zwei barked happily in his hands, in agreement. After a few moments of silence, Ruby turns around to face her team with a proud expression on her face.

"I'm a genius!" Weiss smacked her head once again, the others joined her in a collective sigh.

"Ruby, don't push your luck." Was all that Jaune said before Blake changed the subject.

"So, what are our orders, Doctor?" She asked, trying her best to ignore the pup in his arms.

"Ah, yes, straight to the chase, I like It!" He carefully placed Zwei down, the dog running back to Ruby. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hot spot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behaviour, one of which being... Grimm."

"Uh, what?" Ruby asked, looking as confused as the others.

"Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment." They turn around to see, indeed, a lonely Beowolf wandering into the street, seemingly unaware of their presence. They unleashed their weapons. "Stop!" They hesitantly lowered their weapons, though their eyes were still fixed at the Grimm.

"Why?" Jaune asked.

"There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, Mr. Beauregard, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harbouring Ill intent." He said, the group's attention solely on him.

"So you're suggesting the Grimm might lead us towards our target?" Jaune asked, now comprehending the man's words.

"Yes. If we wait and track, this specimen might lead us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." He finished, nodding once.

"How long do we wait?" Blake asks him. Oobleck assumes a contemplative stance.

"Is difficult to guess. Hours. Days. Weeks... There have been records of subjects being separated from the pack for months... and there's the pack."

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed, turning around to see five other Beowolf turning around the street. She unfolds her scythe once again, her teammates now with weapons in hand as well.

"And now they've seen us." Doctor Oobleck added as the Beowolves sniffed the air around them before focusing on the group.

"I assume our original plan changed," Jaune said, raising his shield. "What are our orders now, Doctor Oobleck?" The Hunter took a sip from his coffee canister, before adjusting his glasses.

"Show me what you're capable of." It was all he said. Jaune nodded before turning towards his team. They all waited for his orders.

"Ruby, try to save your ammo. We're engaging in close combat. If any of you find yourselves in a difficult situation, regroup or try to put some distance between you and the Grimm. Attack from a distance, but refrain from doing so unless it's necessary." The Beowolves were approaching fast now, and the four students jumped into the fight.

Ruby was the first to close the distance between them and the Grimm, her speed enhanced by her semblance, she moved like a hurricane, slashing through meat, fur and bone with precision. Weiss was right behind her, using a Glyph to buff her own speed and then several to redirect her movements, making her move like a white blur between the Grimm, piercing through their armour for a quick, clean, death. Blake stood next to Jaune while they fought. Their teamwork bordering perfection. If a Grimm got too close, Blake would leave a copy of her as bait so Jaune could kill it with a slash of his sword. When he was behind his shield, she would be his sword, and kill the Grimm from behind. Soon, it was the pack that was outnumbered.

"Good job everyone," Jaune said, patting Ruby in the back.

"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many." Doctor Oobleck said, deflating their spirits a little. "Shall we continue?"

 _Many..._

"Excellent work, students!" Oobleck said after Blake decapitates a Beowolf. "Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!"

"Well..." Jaune said with a tired sigh. "You heard the Doctor." He turned to his team, who expressed similar signs of tiredness.

"Uh... Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby asked reluctantly. "Shouldn't you be, uh... you know, helping us fight or... something?"

"But I am doing something, Miss Rose! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity!" He turned around to face them. "Remember! Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, students. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination!" He nodded once. "And while, yes, I could fight, this is your mission. I am a supervisor, a guide of sorts. I won't interfere in a task that you all clearly have control of. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Ruby said, now a little bit less distressed. As they proceeded to the next sector, Zwei walked close to her side. Weiss, after seeing the dog, hurried to her side as well. Jaune and Blake remained a few steps behind.

"I don't know how you can dislike that lovely dog." He said with a half smile. "You know, Ruby was right. You are just perpetuating a stereotype, aren't you?" She scoffed at that.

"I just don't like dogs, okay?" She said with a sigh.

"Okay, fair enough." He said with a knowing smile. "So, what are your thoughts now that we're here?"

"Well, it's a bit underwhelming, I suppose. I guess all of us had a glamorous expectation for this mission, as if we would just arrive and immediately find the White Fang just sitting around." She said with a shrug.

"Trouble does seem to find us, though. I can't see this mission being any different." She smiled at his words. "Who knows, right?"

"Right." She rolled her eyes playfully. "We might just turn around a corner and catch two White Fang grunts making out in the open, then interrogate them after subduing the pair." She added, sardonically.

"Sounds like something straight up from your smutty books." He smirked at her face. "Kinky." She blushed now, causing him to laugh. She smacked his arm, making him stop. "Still... worth it." He said dramatically as he rubbed the sore spot near his shoulder.

"Shut up." She groaned. "You're alerting everything around us of our presence."

"You're right, sorry." He apologized, realizing his mistake. "I'll keep it low."

"Watch out!" Ruby cried, dodging an incoming swing from a Beowolf that jumped out of a building. Soon, they were surrounded.

"And here we go again," Jaune said, jumping in to slice a Beowolf in half before it could get close to Weiss. The heiress thanked him with a nod before thrusting her rapier in the skull of another Beowolf. It would be a long day indeed.

 _Day..._

The day was nearing to an end when he saw Doctor Oobleck approach him. It was only a matter of time, he supposed. He had noticed the man question his teammates on whatever their reasons for being Huntresses was.

"Students! I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon." He throws his bag to Blake, who barely catches it. "You three set up camp in that building. Make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter."

They distance from the rest of BWBR, walking for a few minutes in silence. They round the corner of a building, now able to see the forest bordering the city. Massive black creature wandered through it, as soon as Jaune caught the sight of them, his eyes widened.

"Goliaths." He whispered. "What are they doing this close to the kingdom?"

"One can only wonder. It is said that Grimm can develop intelligence as they age. Goliaths, for example, learned to travel in group. Using strength in numbers, but they also don't attack us because they now that killing a Huntsman only brings more." Jaune listened attentively at his words. "So they wait for the perfect opportunity to strike."

"It's very disturbing if you stop to think about it," Jaune said. "They only attack when we're already at our lower point. It's scary to think about."

"Indeed, but it is our job as Huntsman to ensure that this day never comes." Jaune flinched for a second. "I'm aware that you noticed the questions I asked your teammates through the day. Do you mind if I ask you the same?"

"Do you mind if I don't have a concrete answer?" Jaune rebutted. "I want to protect the people I care about, yes, but so does everyone. I just... I've been trained to fight since I arrived in Vale." He sighed. "I guess I want to be a Huntsman because I never knew anything else, and I'm fine with it. I love Beacon, I love my team and if being a Huntsman aligns with being able to keep them safe, while also doing some good for those who need protection, it's a win-win situation. Not so noble and selfless as people expect, right?"

"Perhaps not, but it's still valid." Doctor Oobleck said with a half smile. "I, for once, never truly understood why I decided to be a Huntsman before I began teaching."

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"Look around you and tell me what you see." Jaune frowned slightly but complied.

"I see a tragedy that could've been avoided." He answered honestly, remembering of Arkend and what could've happened to his homeland. Doctor Oobleck seemed satisfied with his answer because he nodded.

"I see lives that could've been saved." He said. "I never truly understood what it meant to be a Huntsman, John. People think it's to slay Grimm, and protect people. But that's what you do as Huntsman, that's your duty. I look around and see things that could've been done differently, I see mistakes that could've been avoided. As a Huntsman, and a teacher, I made my mission to learn from said mistakes, to teach the next generation of Huntsman and Huntresses to not commit the same errors. I am a Huntsman, John, because there's nothing else in this world I'd rather be."

 _Be..._

"So, who's going to be the first on watch?" Oobleck asked his assigned team. Ruby raised her hand, already moving to the lookout area.

"I'm next," Blake said with a tired sigh. She laid down on her mattress, looking directly into the fire.

"Fine. Then I get the third round. Weiss, are you ok with that?" He asked the heiress before laying down as well. Weiss only shrugged.

"I'm fine with it, I guess." She said, sitting down on the mattress next to Blake's. "Do we have any food, though? I could use something to eat."

"We have some protein bars," Jaune said. "It is okay if we eat those, Doctor Oobleck?"

"Sure! Just don't eat all of them, there is enough to feed us for three, maybe four days if we rationalize." Jaune nodded, grabbing a granola bar for himself.

"Okay, thanks." They shared a silent meal. Definitely less than they were used to, it was no surprise their stomachs later complained on the low quantity of food. Doctor Oobleck now seemed to be in a peaceful slumber at a corner, leaving them to themselves.

"So, I'm guessing he had a talk with you too?" Blake asked him after they ate.

"Yes, he did." Jaune answered with a sigh. "I wasn't sure how to answer him, though. I mean, I don't really have a concrete reason, or goal, other than being able to protect those I love. I mean, there are things I'll have to do when I'm graduate. I have a legacy to uphold, people with high expectations for me, but they weren't imposed by choice. Sometimes I just feel my whole life was planned before I was even born." He frowned. "I just wish I could have a say in it."

"That's something I can understand." Weiss said with a small smile. "As the heiress to the SDC, I've been told my whole life what to do, how to act, when to talk..." She sighs. "That's one of the reasons why I left Atlas, why I decided to become a Huntress in the first place." She looked at the fire. "I told Oobleck that I wanted to honour my family's name, I meant it, but there's more to it. I'm not stupid. I'm more than aware of what my father has done with the SDC. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral grey area."

"That's putting it lightly," Blake comments, earning a silencing glare from both Weiss and Jaune.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right." Weiss continued after a quick pause. "If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything." She frowned. "My father wasn't the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it." After a moment of silence, Blake spoke up.

"All my life, I fought for what I thought it was right. I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually." She added as an afterthought. "He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect world turned out to be not perfect for everyone." She said with a sigh. "I joined the academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave Beacon, what will I... how can I undo so many years of hate?"

"It's not going to be an easy task, that's for sure." Jaune said, receiving a withering look from Blake. "Calm down with the glare! I'm not done talking." He said with a pout. "It's going to be a tough job, but you won't have to do that alone. It's not only your responsibility, Blake. I'm sure there are people out there who want the same thing as you do, but also don't know how to do it. They just need guidance. I'm sure you'll be able to help them, and you'll always have our help." He adds with a hopeful smile. "You're not one to back down from a challenge."

"But I am! I do it all the time!" She said with a distraught tone that shocked Jaune. "When my secret got out, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! If you hadn't found me and calmed me down I don't know how far I would've gotten. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran!" Her hands were shaking a bit now. Jaune rushed to her side and hugged her firmly, her voice was less frantic now. "E-Even my semblance... I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself. An empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!"

"But you still have something that drives you. Something to fight for, you have an anchor." Jaune said as he felt her relax. "You both do." He released her from his hug. "I wish I could claim the same."

"I'm sure you'll find out," Blake said with a small smile. "We still have plenty of time ahead of us, after all. We're still young."

"And look at us now, our first mission together. We're sitting around a fire in the middle of a Grimm infested city, having a nice moment before we wake up tomorrow and begin this exhausting routine all over again."

"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntsman, but in the end of the day, it's our job to protect the people." Weiss said, unaware of the fact that their teacher had been listening to their conversation, and couldn't be more proud. "And whatever we want will have to come second."

 _Second..._

It took him only a second to realize that Ruby and Zwei weren't there. Startled, he woke up everyone, and they went outside to search for them. When they found her scythe next to a giant crater, they assumed the worst. That was until Doctor Oobleck realized the White Fang was working underneath the city, which led to them jumping down on the hole with the aid of Weiss's glyphs. Ruby was somewhere down there, likely hurt or captured, probably both. Her aura would've protected her from the blunt of the fall, but that didn't mean she was safe.

"Loud noises at Southwest," Blake said, listening attentively with her superior senses. "I hear voices, machinery. I can't discern any words, though. And there's a small group approaching, probably a patrol."

"Which direction?" Jaune asked.

"They're coming from there." Blake said, pointing to their northeast. They hid and prepared for a silent ambush, soon, they all heard footsteps. It was only a matter of time before the group of four masked individuals was immobilized. Shots were fired, however. Soon there would been more. "So much for the silent approach."

"Well, we tried," Jaune said with a sigh. "Look out, on your left!"

"On it!" She said, jumping in time to avoid a barrage of bullets coming towards her. Weiss placed a glyph underneath Blake, giving her extra speed and propelling her into the air. Blake then moved like a blur, using shadow clones to push her forward, as well as relocating her strikes, so she could take down as many grunts as she could. While the grunts were distracted by Blake, Jaune and Weiss attacked from the front. Jaune blocking and bashing people with his shield, and using his sword to pierce instead of slash, aiming at non-vital spots. The grunts clearly had no aura unlocked, so it was hard to fight without causing more serious damage. Weiss was doing the same, her weapon more suitable for the job than his.

"We need to start moving!" Jaune said, raising Theodore from the ground. The giant knocked out a line of enemies with a swing of his rocky arm. Now scared of the Golem, the grunts began to run away from the rather than fighting them. "Ruby!" Jaune called for her as they ran.

"I'm here!" She was in the middle of her own escape, apparently their arrival had caused a distraction for her to do so. She was being followed by at least a dozen grunts, all shooting at her. From the distance, the group could see a train slowly moving away. Jaune raised a stone wall in between Ruby and the grunts, so the bullets wouldn't reach her. Weiss and Blake took care of the rest.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked her after the last grunt was knocked out. She handed over Crescent Rose to her respective owner.

"I'm fine, but it's not over yet! Torchwick's on that train, and he has a lot of weapons and robots down there! And now he's escaping!" She said, putting her folded scythe on her back.

"Ah, that's ridiculous. These tunnels are sealed! These tracks lead to a dead end." Weiss said with a frown.

"Get to your places, we are leaving now!" Torchwick says across a speaker system. The train now picks up speed and starts moving towards the tunnels.

"Well, it looks like it's going somewhere," Jaune said, unaware of what to do.

"So, what do we do?" Weiss asked before any of them could.

"I believe we only have one option..." Doctor Oobleck said. The students looked to him with similar looks of determination on their faces. They knew what they had to do.

"Who's up for a ride on a giant stone golem?" Jaune asked, looking back at Theodore.

 _Stone..._

They were able to catch up with the train quite easily, thanks to Weiss's glyphs enhancing Theodore's speed. Unfortunately, there was no subtlety in arriving on a huge block of stone. The White Gang members were immediately aware of their presence and started to make their way up to the top of the train.

"Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!" Oobleck hurried them, as Weiss and Blake opened a hatch to go into the train. What they found, however, startled them.

"Er... Doctor Oobleck?" Weiss asked, gathering his attention. She pointed down to a strange device. "What's that?" The teacher kneels down to take a closer look at the device.

"That, my dear, appears to be a bomb." He said, causing the teenagers to move away from the hatch. Ruby spots problem at the distance.

"We've got baddies!" She said, pointing forward on the train, where White Gang members had already made way to the top of the train.

"Well, I didn't expect them to go-" There was a loud beep below them, the panel of the bomb was now charged and ready to go. "-easy on us..." He stands up. "Time to go!" They start moving to the next cart. "Blake, detach the caboose! It will kill us all!"

"On it!" She said, jumping down onto the connectors. She was about to strike when the connection comes loose on its own. "It decoupled itself!"

"What?!" They observed as the cart moved away, until it explodes in the tunnel, creating a small dent in the ceiling. "That's not good..."

"And neither is this!" Ruby said, standing beside another opened hatch with a bomb in it.

"Another bomb?!" Blake exclaimed. Doctor Oobleck looked around before running onto the next cart, checking the next hatch.

"They all have bombs!" He yells as their cart starts to detach. They jump to the next one before it gets too distant.

"But why would he...?" Jaune's line of thought was interrupted by shots coming from their front. He protected himself behind his shield and let Ruby and Weiss take care of it. Ruby moved in a red blur, knocking grunts off the train before they could do anything about it. Weiss used her glyphs to throw herself in the middle of them, a trail of ice spikes following her closely from behind. Those who didn't wish to get impaled jumped away, landing outside the train. After the blunt of their numbers were taken away, Jaune and Blake joined in, knocking off the remaining enemies. Behind them, the second cart exploded, this time creating a large hole, big enough for Grimm to get in. They spotted Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and even larger Grimm like Deathstalkers and King Taijitu.

"Oh dear..." Doctor Oobleck mumbles, realization now in his face. "He's leading Grimm to the city!"

"What!" Weiss exclaims in shock, fighting off her last opponent. "That's insane!" She adds ass another train car detaches itself.

"It's the cars!" Doctor Oobleck explains. "They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!"

"We have to hurry, then!" Jaune said, more determined than ever. He wouldn't let Vale become another Arkend, not if he could stop it.

"You there, go down below and try to stop those bombs!" He said, gesturing towards Weiss, Blake, and Jaune. "Ruby and I will make our way to the front from up here! Now go!"

They did as they were told, entering an empty train cart from where the grunts came out a few cars ahead.

"That's it," Jaune said with a nervous smile. "What did I told you earlier, Blake? Trouble always finds us."

"I have to agree with that." Weiss said, reaching into her pocket on her back, taking out a magazine filled with dust vials. "Here, this should help you." She hands it to Blake, who accepts it and equips it with a grateful nod. They begin to move forward when a small figure drops from the ceiling, blocking their path.

"It's the girl from before," Jaune said, recognizing her unique look and attire. "You two go on ahead, I'll keep her here."

"Are you sure?" Weiss asked. Her rapier was already up and _en garde._

"Yes, just go!" He reassured them, earning worried looks from both. Weiss was ready to go, but Blake still stood next to his side. Her indecision and doubt were evident on her face. "Blake, I'll be fine! But we have to stop-" He was silenced when her soft lips met his, briefly, but still enough to silence him. He was barely able to discern her next words before they left.

"For luck..."

* * *

 **Cliché? Perhaps a bit, but I couldn't resist :P**

 **Next chapter: July 15th.**


	18. Chapter 17: The Breach

**Hello, everyone! Thank you for those who reviewed the last chapter, but I'm in a hurry and you guys want the chapter, so let's just drop it.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Blake ran to the next car without witnessing her partner's reaction. She saw the surprised look on his face as she pulled out from the kiss, but any meaningful reactions were lost. They didn't have time for that now, yet her heart fluttered when she thought about it. Weiss ran beside her, a knowing grin on her face. This car was empty, she noticed. The control room should be a few cars ahead. Blake used this short time to interrogate Weiss about her smug grin.

"What?" She asked the heiress, unaware of her slightly pinkish cheeks.

"Nothing," Weiss said with a smile. The excitement in her voice was poorly hidden. "I'm just surprised, I guess. I hope he can handle that girl."

"He'll be fine." He'd better be, after what she just did. She trusted his skill, but her mind betrayed her with the worst scenarios that could happen. "We have to focus on our task now." The heiress nodded, the playfulness in her eyes replaced by seriousness. There would be time for teasing later. They heard explosions above them, so that meant Ruby and Doctor Oobleck were still fighting as well.

They entered the next car only to face a huge White Fang member. Blake recognized him from her time at the organization, he was a Lieutenant. He seemed dangerous, and the giant chainsaw in his arms just confirmed that.

"Finally. I get to kill a Schnee." He says in a deep, low voice that sent shivers down their spines. He dragged the S, making them assume he was a snake Faunus.

"You go, I'll take care of him," Weiss said, determination plastered on her face.

"Are you sure?" With a firm nod from the heiress, Blake dived forwards, blocking the first attack from the Lieutenant and getting past him. She heard the sounds of metal against metal as she left. She trusted Weiss would be able to fight him, but again, she couldn't help but think the worst could still happen.

She made herself brush it off. Her teammates wouldn't give up without a fight and neither would she. They just had to trust themselves and keep focused.

 _Focused…_

Jaune quickly regained his focus even though his opponent hadn't made a move yet. Testing the ground, he could only assume. She had this smug look on her face that seemed split between cockiness and amusement. She was dangerous, he could see that. But then again, so was he.

He dashed forwards, using his shield as cover. She sidestepped him, poking his ribs with her folded parasol. He brought his sword up and slashed horizontally, forcing her to take a step back. He didn't let her rest, though, and dashed forwards once more, this time blocking her parasol before she could hit him. He tried to bash her head with his shield, but she grabbed the top edge of it and used it to push herself up. She twisted in the air, kicking his head before landing without a scratch.

Ignoring the buzzing sound in his ears, he shot from his shield, Neo blocked most shots with her parasol, while walking towards him. She kept her expression neutral. She seemed almost disappointed now as if she'd expected more of a fight.

" _You'll have to rely on something other than raw skill for this one,"_ Vladimir said in his head as Jaune ducked, avoiding a hit. He exploited the brief opening she left to hit her right shoulder with the pummel of his sword. He saw the brief flash of pain in her eyes, and the dangerous gleam in them. She flipped backward, kicking his sword out of his hand and making him lose his balance. She dashed forwards in a blink, poking his stomach multiple times until he crashed against the crates in the car. He summoned Anemoi, who created a gust powerful enough to blow her back. Her back hit the wall soundly. A solid hit. It was a start. He got up, clenching his stomach area. His sword went back to him thanks to Anemoi, the golem was now circling around him, creating a protective wind barrier. He looked back at the crates that caught his fall, with a simple command, Anemoi lifted the crates up in the air and launched them towards Neo. She seemed surprised, but not threatened. She jumped on the crates, using them as platforms. She opened her parasol and dashed towards Jaune, passing through the wind barrier. She closed her weapon and now parried the blows from his sword. The last blow went through her, causing her image to fall apart in glass pieces. She appeared behind him, and poked shield arm, causing Jaune to drop it. He turned around with a vertical slash aimed downwards. She blocked it holding her parasol horizontally, with both hands. He applied pressure, and she struggled for a moment.

He caught the smirk on her face a second later, however, as she performed a roundhouse kick to the left side of his body. He grunted in pain, and she exploited his weakness by jumping over him, landing on his back and using her parasol to choke him. He threw himself into the nearest wall, only for her to shatter. The glass pierced his clothes and aura.

" _Any ideas?"_ He asked Vladimir. His whole body hurt, and he imagined his aura wouldn't hold on for much longer.

" _Show a bit more of versatility. You've got a powerful semblance that can give you an advantage, not to mention a wide variety of spells to your disposal. Your skill usually is enough for you to face your foes, but now that you're fighting someone who surpasses your skill, you have to get creative."_ He said, and Jaune remembered Ozpin's words for his team before they left.

" _Alright. I have to slow her down, she's too fast for me. Ranged attacks are also an option since she lacks a ranged weapon, but she'll just dodge."_ He thought to himself. He used Anemoi to cause a distraction, the wind picking up the glass and chasing after Neo. It gave him enough time to stand up properly. _"You wouldn't happen to know some sort of spell that may affect gravity, would you?"_

" _Transverto Gravitas Hostis. It should slow her down considerably."_ He muttered the words under his breath and watched as his opponent struggled to move. The wind stopped, the glass shattering even more as it hit the ground. Without her biggest advantage, mobility, he was fairly confident he could knock her out. He dashed forwards, bashing her head with his shield before she could react. It turned out to be another glass illusion, and she reappeared behind him, a pointy blade now in hand. Had she not be affected by his spell, he would've been hit before he could turn around. He parried the blade and dodged a kick. She aimed at lethal areas of his body with her blade, stabs that would've been impossible to deflect if she were at full speed. This was good, he was managing to wear her down, but his own wounds made it difficult to dodge some of her stabs, that kept doing damage to his aura. She was still dangerous, but now the fight switched from one-sided to somewhat even.

He felt the pommel of his sword connect against her temple, stunning her momentarily. Her eyes switched colors repeatedly as she blinked, disoriented. He kept pressing, giving no rest for her. Slash after slash, parrying, and ducking. Until she apparently had enough. His last hit destroyed another glass illusion, but she was nowhere to be found afterward. Confused, he kept his guard up, calling Anemoi once again to identify any presences in the room. Nothing was found, so he proceeded to the next car. The fight wore him out badly, but he couldn't afford to rest now. His teammates could need his help, not to mention the train that still needed to be stopped.

 _Stopped…_

He stopped when he saw Weiss barely avoiding a swing of a giant chainsaw. He dashed towards her, his shield up and ready to protect her just in time to block another swing. The sound of metal grinding against metal intimidated him, plus his opponent's superior strength making it difficult for him to keep it up, but he was able to block for long enough for Weiss to encase her foe in ice with the help of a nice positioned glyph and some dust.

"Thank you for the rescue." She said, releasing a tired sigh.

"I'm sure you had it under control." He said with a playful smirk, to which the heiress rolled her eyes. "Let's get to Blake now."

"Of course. I take it that you defeated the girl back there then?" She asked as they moved towards the next car.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't call it a victory. It was a tie, at best." He said truthfully. "She'd utterly crushed me if I didn't have my… semblance. I barely have aura left. You?"

"You arrived before he could do much damage. I had the upper hand during most of the fight, but then he managed to grab me and, well… I'm glad I have an aura. That would be the second swing I'd had taken had you not intervened." They jumped to the next car. "You heard that?" She asked, referring to the voices ahead of them.

"Yes. Get your weapon ready." The door to their car opened, a small group of White Fang members entered in a hurry. They stopped when they saw the two hunters in training. Unlike their previous opponents, they were easily outclassed. The grunts put up a fight, but their lack of actual combat training was clear. Those who used swords hadn't the right stance or sense of balance, and the few others with fire weapons had a terrible aim. It was like they had been given the weapons and that was it. At Beacon, they had fought training bots who put up more of a fight. "They must've come from up there. Blake would've fought them otherwise."

"She must be near, there's no much train left," Weiss added as she saw his worried look. "We'll find her." She said, looking in his eyes, and he nodded.

"Let's move." He said, resolute. "We have no time to lose."

 _Time…_

Her fight against Torchwick didn't last long. Honestly, after their fight at the docks, a long time ago, she expected more. It wasn't like he hadn't tried, but her semblance combined with Dust granted her victory. She heard footsteps behind her, and so did Torchwick.

"Looks like cavalry has arrived." He said smugly. She narrowed her eyes at him and pressed the top of her sword against his throat.

"Yes, unfortunately not yours." Blake released a breath she didn't know she was holding when she saw Jaune and Weiss enter the room. Her leader quickly approached her and Torchwick. "How do we stop this train?"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. Basic physics, kid. Big train moving at a high speed, you'd have to slow down the traction motors to a virtual stop, but you don't have neither the time or terrain to do that." He said with a grin. "I'm afraid there's just one stop."

"What about the emergency brake? Where is it?!" Blake demanded, her blade scratching his skin, drawing a bit of blood.

"Hey! This is a white coat! The last thing I want is to get blood on it!" He grunted. "This train wasn't made to stop, you know? That was kind of the point." He said, his hands up in defeat. "As I said, only a way to stop this train, so I suggest you all brace for…" Blake kicked Torchwick on the head, knocking him out.

"Was that really necessary?" Weiss asked with a frown. Blake shrugged.

"He wasn't going to talk. The information he gave us didn't help at all. He would've just stall us until we crash." Jaune sighed.

"I suppose neither of you knows how to operate a train?" He said sardonically, receiving incredulous looks. "Okay, just checking. What now?"

"You're usually the guy with the plan." Weiss pointed out.

"Not this time." He frowned. _"Do any of you guys know how to stop a train?"_ He mentally asked Vladimir.

" _Nope. Sorry, kid."_ Was all he got.

"Great." He mumbled to himself. "And even if we manage to stop the train, there's a horde of Grimm at our tails."

"Let's go back up there, maybe we can find a way to stop the train from the outside." Blake insisted.

"It's no use Blake, we…"

"No! We have to stop this train! If…"

"If this train stops, we're dead!" He exclaimed, not able to contain himself.

"If it keeps going, even more people are going to die!" She shouted back. "We stand a chance against the Grimm. The citizens of Vale don't. We have Doctor Oobleck with us, we can fight them off! I thought you of all people, would try to stop another massacre from happening!"

"For Dust's sake, would you two stop?!" Weiss bursts out. "Blake, John is right. We can't stop this train, it's too late and we would be too exhausted to fend off that much Grimm. However, it doesn't mean we can do nothing."

"What do you suggest then?" Blake asked her.

"We can borrow ourselves some time." She said with a determined smile. "But first, let's get back to Ruby."

 _Ruby…_

Ruby was waiting for them at the top of the train. Fighting against giant robots with Oobleck was awesome. But by the hurried look of her friends, she realized the situation wasn't the best.

"Alright! John and I will create obstacles for the Grimm, so when the train crashes, we'll have time to get help. You two keep an eye out for any threat and give us a warning when we get close to the end of the tracks."

"That's… actually not a bad idea." Jaune said. "But we'd have to be at the very end of the train. I can see some pretty intense fight down there. Is that Zwei?"

"He's helping Doctor Oobleck fight those giant robots," Ruby said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "If you two weaken the structure of the tunnel, I can snipe weak points with explosive dust rounds. This way we'd be already out of danger."

"It'll be too dark for you to see from that distance. I'll assume the scoping part, you shoot." Blake said, already positioning herself next to Ruby.

"Good call, Blake," Jaune said, turning back to Weiss. "I'll take care of the structure, you focus on the sides of the train. Create barriers with ice dust, cover the floor with fire, anything that may slow the horde down."

"On it!" She hurried to his left, already creating an ice barrier that barely collided with the high-speed train. Jaune focused on his control over the earth, trying to remember what Hama had taught him. He focused on the walls, specifically, and felt them shaking. Cracks had begun to form at the surface of the polished rock, but he dug deeper. The shot fired a few seconds later by Ruby made a whole wall collapse, the debris almost completely blocking the tunnel. But the Grimm pushed or climbed the rocks. Weiss's ice walls were too slippery for the Grimm to climb, so they had to go around or break them down. Ruby sniped the Grimm from the distance, her explosive rounds creating craters or simply blowing up lesser Grimm. Blake's night vision made her shots become devastating. He couldn't help but smile to himself. They had a chance.

"The wall!" Weiss shouted from behind him. They were too close. Instinctively, he brought his arms towards himself and his team in a pushing motion, dragging a layer of stone from the nearby walls and protecting them from the impact.

 _Impact…_

The barrier instantly broke as they crashed through, but was enough for them to survive the first impact. They were thrown away, however. Their aura was the only thing between them and severely broken bones. The car they were on stood several meters away from them and had smashed a fountain. Luckily nobody was hit by it. Jaune was the first to get up, whatever it was left from his aura quickly repairing the damage taken by his body. He looked around and saw civilians staring at the scene in shock. There was an alarm resonating through the city.

"Everyone! Get somewhere safe! There's Grimm approaching and fast!" People looked at each other in confusion. "Now! This is not a training, you all have to get out of the streets!" A few civilians started to run, but the great majority stood there, unconvinced. Jaune groaned and summoned Theodore with what was left of his aura reserves. The sight of the giant made people run away in fear. With most of the civilians safe, he looked around for his teammates. They didn't land far from him, fortunately, and they all seemed to be fine. He helped Ruby to get up, the Reaper supporting herself with the help of her scythe. Weiss and Blake managed to stand up by themselves. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. Fine." Ruby groaned. The others didn't have the time to answer since Grimm started to emerge from the opening.

"Stay together!" Jaune exclaimed, blocking a swing from a Beowolf and simultaneously shooting a Creep. Theodore swung his arms around like maces, smashing Grimm like they were made of clay. Blake's back met his, and it didn't take long for Weiss and Ruby to join in. They stood together in a square formation, weapons piercing or slashing through the creatures. Everything hurt. Every swing, every block, and shot. His body burned in protest, every muscle screamed in pain. But every Grimm down meant a civilian alive, an increase in their survival chance. This was a fight they couldn't afford to lose.

Weiss summoned a haste glyph beneath them, and he felt his muscles relax. His body moved faster, his attacks became stronger. The boost was enough for Blake to move past the Grimm like a shadow, she moved from a kill to another with the agility and grace of an acrobat. Ruby was a red comet of death, leaving a trail of rose petals and severed limbs. She swiftly decapitated an Ursa and proceeded to slash a Beowolf in half. Weiss used her limited supply of Dust to make ice spikes erupt from a glyph. The ice piercing through the armor of a young Deathstalker, and several Beowolves. The stone golem was still fighting fiercely, now against a Deathstalker. He grabbed the stinger with both hands and pulled it out in a strong, but clumsy, move. The golem lost his balance, falling over a Creep. Theodore seemed satisfied with that outcome because he reformed into a boulder and started rolling over the lesser Grimm.

The ground trembled as a fully grown King Taijitu emerged to the surface. It sensed the air with its tongue in search of its prey. It was about to strike when a silvery blue beam of light hit it fully, encasing its head in solid ice. The beast tried to repeatedly smash the ice on the walls of nearby buildings but was finally put down by the swing of a familiar hammer. He saw the source of the blue beam approaching, and it was terrifying. Katherine Beauregard moved past the Grimm with ease. They couldn't even get close without getting encased in ice, and then shattered by her mere thought.

Bullheads were also arriving. He saw the rest of team LPYN arrive, along with his mother. Purple strings of energy being released from the top of her crop, each one hitting their targets in a clean, quick death. He couldn't help but laugh in relief as the reinforcements arrived. Yang jumped next to him, helping him against a particularly strong Alpha Beowolf.

"Hey there, handsome. Do you come here often?" She said, winking at him while punching the Alpha with Ember Celica. Its fur caught fire by her shotgun shots, and while the Grimm roared in pain, trying to put the flames out, Jaune impaled his head with his sword.

"All the time." He said with a tired sigh. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. You seem like you can barely stand." She said, throwing a car at a small group of Creeps. He shot two Beowolves in the head, turning around quickly to face an Ursa. His slashes were clumsier than usual but were enough to defeat the beast. "You should really like, sit down and let we assume from here."

"And miss all the fun?" She didn't answer, focusing on her next opponent. A bullet missed his head by inches, killing a Beowolf that had managed to get too close, he looked around until he caught the sight of Ruby. She was now at the top of a building, shooting down Nevermore that started to swarm the skies of Vale.

"Your call." There was a loud thud as Theodore was finally defeated by a group of Ursa. He took down one of the Ursa with him, at least. He saw Pyrrha and Ren fighting next to each other, their movements completely synchronized. No energy was wasted, every swing and shot had a purpose. Ren used Pyrrha's shield as a platform, jumping over the Grimm's line of sight and shooting them down with his pistols. He landed a few meters away, perfectly safe, as Pyrrha had already cleared the Grimm that managed to get close to her. Nora was nowhere to be seen, but by the sound of the explosions, he would guess somewhere east from there. "I'm going back to my team, will you be okay?" His response was a swift move with his hands, using his power over earth, the only thing he could risk using without his aura, to create a small entourage of stone soldiers to protect him. They weren't as resistant as Theodore but got the job done. Yang whistled, impressed. "Yup. You got it. Just don't go overboard."

She left, leaving him with his soldiers. They were nine in total, all with spears and shields. They formed a circle around him, clearing the Grimm that got too close. He moved his body, and the ground reacted. Flying rocks hit nearby Grimm, those who managed to avoid were swallowed by the ground, or impaled by stone spikes. He moved towards the big crater in the middle of the battlefield, from where more Grimm erupted. Ruby seemed to notice where he was going and helped to clear him a path from the distance. He saw ice and fire to his right, and it took only a glance to identify the Schnee's white hair. Blake was there, too. Her back against Weiss's, fighting off the Grimm. Amber met blue, and he saw relief and panic flash across her face. He kept pushing forwards. The explosions were getting closer Now, and he saw Nora to his left, now joined by Yang. The two powerhouses seemed to be having a blast. Literally.

His mother was nowhere to be seen, neither was Katherine. Probably for the best. He was sure that if he managed to survive, they were going to kill him. He could already hear them saying how foolish he was, walking towards the most dangerous area of the battlefield with nothing but a poor excuse of a plan. Well, Yang tried to warn him about it, but then again…

" _Vlad, I'll need your help, and as much power as my body can take."_

… there's no kill like overkill.

 _Kill…_

Blake was going to kill her leader.

What was he thinking?! He was beaten up and tired, his aura barely holding on, if not depleted, and there he was! Parading towards the big hole in the middle of the street, the same hole from where a lot of Grimm was coming from. It was Forever Fall all over again, he would overexert himself and pass out from exhaustion, but this time he would end up being killed!

"We have to get to John!" She said, hoping that Weiss could hear her over the sounds of the battle. The heiress looked at her general direction and sighed.

"What in the world is that idiot up to?" She was interrupted by a red blur that appeared right beside her. "Ruby!" She exclaimed, startled by her sudden appearance.

"I'm out of ammo. I figured you guys could use some help." She said.

"Okay, here's the plan…" Blake was interrupted by a giant robot crashing down near them. The robot had jumped out from the hole and had a lot of scratch marks on its armor. The mechanical suit opened, revealing a very irritated Doctor Oobleck, and Zwei. They quickly joined the fight, joined by professor Port and team CFVY, who had just arrived at the other side of the battlefield. She caught the sight of Sun and Neptune, and some other exchange students who weren't sent away. Together, they were starting to push the Grimm back.

The Nevermore flock was their highest threat at that point, and that was taken care by Coco and her surprisingly portable minigun. Deathstalkers were also tricky, but she saw Professor Goodwitch teaming up with Katherine Beauregard to take down four at once. Professor Port was taking care of a horde of Boarbatusk, while Oobleck fought a King Taijitu by himself. With the more dangerous Grimm taken care of, the students dealt with the lesser threats, like Ursai, Beowolves, and Creeps.

The wind started to pick up, the air seemed charged with electricity as her leader rose to the sky, dark clouds formed above him, blocking the sun. And suddenly there was hail, that pierced through Nevermore like ice daggers. There was lightning hitting constantly the entrance of the tunnel. Small hurricanes floated around him, collecting the debris and throwing it on the hole in a rudimentary attempt to block it. The sight was surreal. He stood there like a god, raining death to his enemies. But Blake knew it wouldn't last long. His eyes were already flickering between white and the usual blue. So they all did what they had to do and kept clearing the Grimm, now less and less were able to go through the hole, but they didn't cease to appear until Professor Goodwitch managed to get close enough to properly seal it with her semblance.

Airships approached. The Atlesian fleet had finally arrived, and robotic soldiers rain from the sky all over the city. As the remaining Grimm was being cleared out, the storm dispersed. Jaune began his slow descent. Goodwitch had already enveloped him in her semblance, laying him down gently. When he touched the ground he felt truly relieved. It was over. They won, they were alive. He wouldn't probably get out of bed for four days straight, but that didn't matter. Then, he felt the pain. He got to his knees, clutching his ribs firmly. A heavy headache showed up, followed by a bleeding nose. He wasn't fine.

He looked over to his mother, who was yelling for an ambulance, and Katherine, who was running towards him. He felt his voice in his head, telling him to stay awake. He looked to his team and friends, the only thing between himself and them being Oobleck and Port, who tried to keep the situation under control. His eyes met Blake's once more. She seemed about to cry. He broke his promise, didn't he?

He heard sirens approaching. Ruby yelled something to Professor Port. Purple energy surrounded him like a blanket, lifting him safely to the air. He struggled to remain awake. He glanced over at his friends and their scared faces.

He wasn't fine.

But they were.

And that was all that mattered.

 _All…_

All it took was a second for him to recognize the ceiling from Beacon's infirmary. He looked around, but his room was empty. It was dark outside, but he could've sworn it had been morning when the breach happened. He pressed a button to call a nurse but was greeted by Doctor Le Fay herself. She wore a stern, motherly expression that made him feel ashamed of being there.

"What…"

"Three broken ribs, a perforated lung, several muscles from you back had lacerations and glass fragments. Several muscles sprained and you also managed to crack your ileum." She said in a stern, distant voice. "I had to explain that to a very angry Glynda Goodwitch and nine worried teenagers, four of them sustaining injuries of their own." He opened his mouth to ask how they were, but she wasn't done talking yet. "Almost three hours of surgery to keep you alive. Do a favor to me, to those you care about and to yourself, and stop jumping to the middle of every fight you get involved into. Killing yourself won't help anyone."

He wanted to talk back, but her words stung him like a Rapier Wasp. He couldn't even gather up the courage to ask about the others, but as if she was reading his mind, she cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Your teammates are mostly fine. Miss Schnee had by far the worst wounds after yourself, but they were only bruises and cuts. The worst she had was a cracked rib. She was released yesterday." Yesterday? He wanted to ask. But let her keep talking instead. Your other teammates had superficial scratches, the most severe being a deep cut on Miss Belladonna's shoulder, but nothing her own aura couldn't close after a few hours of rest. Miss Rose was free to go the same day she arrived, so was Miss Belladonna. There was also Mr. Wukong, who had a dislocated shoulder and a deep cut on his shoulder pad. He has also recovered and was released yesterday as well. It's been two days since the breach, by the way. Three, if you count today. I'll inform Glynda you're awake, but you'll only see your team tomorrow. I don't think they'd like to be woken up around this time of day anyway." She said with a shrug, checking his heartbeat. "I'll have a nurse get you something to drink and eat, so wait a bit. You can turn the TV on if you don't feel like sleeping. You slept for two days straight, after all."

His food arrived a couple minutes later. He thanked the nurse and tried to sit, but she pressed a hand against his chest, pushing him back, and lifted the bed in a sitting position instead. She told him not to exert himself more than he already had. He muttered an apology and grabbed the remote to turn the TV on.

" _The council has finally agreed to postpone the Vytal Festival for another two weeks. The event was supposed to begin next week, but the recent attack on Vale, or "The Breach", as it was called, made the Grand Council reconsider the date. Many thought the Festival would be canceled after such attack, but the increased security supplied by Atlas and the arrest of Roman Torchwick contributed for the final decision. I'm Lisa Lavender, bringing you the…"_ He muted the TV. Torchwick was arrested, General Ironwood was likely been interrogating him since his capture. Luckily he would be able to find something out. His trail of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Likely his mother or maybe the nurse. The person didn't wait for his answer and walked in regardless.

"Blake?" He asked, recognizing his partner, who now stared back at him with wide eyes. "What are you…" She covered his mouth with her hand and asked for silence with the other.

"You're awake…" She whispered. "Since when?"

"I'd say maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago." He answered in the same volume. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" She sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't suffer any assassination attempts while you were here. The White Fang could've sent an agent to kill you in your sleep, and I wouldn't forgive myself if…"

"Hey." He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Thank you, but you should really rest. You know the conversation we had about you and sleep?"

"What about the conversation we had about you promising to not do something reckless like, I don't know, throwing yourself into the middle of a Grimm invasion?" She retorted sarcastically, and he couldn't help but wince at her hurt tone.

"I'm sorry. I really am, but…"

"But what?" She was trying really hard to keep her voice low. "You couldn't stop yourself from being the hero once again?"

"It wasn't like that, Blake. I had to try and..."

"Because there were more than twenty other people fighting against the Grimm, but apparently they hadn't been trying enough. No! Jonathan Beauregard had to be the one to contain the Grimm, even though he was without Aura, had three broken ribs and a perforated lung! Stop acting like you have to do everything!"

"I was trying to protect you all!"

"Then stop acting like we need protection! We know how to protect ourselves! Is that kind of thing that will get you killed!" She exclaimed, not being able to contain herself. She took a deep breath before speaking in a lower voice. "You can't protect others if you can't protect yourself."

"That's precious coming from you. Wasn't that the whole dilemma we went through when you became obsessed with the White Fang?"

"That's different. That was a moment of weakness and I was wrong. I learned my lesson. You, on the other hand, have a huge hero complex that always, and I mean always, gets you in danger." She rebutted. "Forever Fall? The docks? The Breach? Situations that were under, or were going to be under control whether you went all 'White eyes' or not!"

"Yet, on the train, you were the one that was ready to do the same thing."

"On that scenario, it was five people and a dog in exchange for a hundred thousand lives." She said. "Do you want to know the number of casualties?" She didn't wait for his answer. "A hundred and seventy-two. Twenty were soldiers, eleven policemen, ninety-four women, and children."

"It could've been more if I hadn't…"

"That hole wasn't the only source of Grimm. Most casualties were caused by the Nevermore, the rest was at the borders of the city. And your mother, assisted by the Huntsman in the area, could've done the same with the same result." She said. "Putting yourself in danger killed more Grimm, but ultimately it made no difference." Seeing as he had no response to that, she continued. "So you better get a grip and stop trying to kill yourself, because I don't want to spend the rest of my time at Beacon caring for someone who would throw his life away that easily." She opened the window of his room. "You're awake, so I'm going back to my own bed. Let's hope nobody kills you in your sleep tonight." With those words, she left, closing the window behind herself. And watching her go made his heart hurt more than his whole body.

* * *

 **I changed a couple of things, as you guys may have noticed. Atlas took longer to deploy their forces, more Grimm than canon, and so on...**

 **Next Chapter: July 29.**


	19. Chapter 18: Serendipity

**Hey, everyone! Another day, another chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Jack Lycan (chapter 17): I guess we all were :P.**

 **Guest (chapter 17): Thank you!**

 **hirshja (chapter 18): I actually considered that, but at the end of the day, I really didn't know how to create a proper argument using that logic. I mean, yes, if they had died they wouldn't be able to save more people, but those their sacrifice would've saved could be potential wannabe hunters and huntresses, not to mention the future generations of their families... It's a sacrifice that could've paid itself in time.**

 **Gruffard (chapter 18): We'll discover now, don't worry ;)**

* * *

The four students entered the cafeteria in silence. Blake and Jaune hadn't exchanged a word since that night, and that had been a week ago. Weiss and Ruby didn't know what exactly was going on and could only get caught up in this hurricane of awkwardness and uncomfortable silence. They walked to a nearby table, half of it already occupied by team LPYN.

"Glad to see you out of the infirmary for a change, Mr. Broken Semblance. How are you doing?" Yang asked with an encouraging smile.

"Good enough for me to be released, but I have to be accompanied by someone at all times just in case." He said, trying to sound positive. "My bones are still mending, though. And that hurts a lot. Doctor Le Fay says that if I'm lucky, I should heal completely in time for the tournament."

"He still has treatments to do, though." Weiss chimed in. "And he's being monitored in our room."

"How did they even let you out?" Pyrrha asked. "With wounds like yours, it doesn't sound sensible for you to get out of the infirmary this soon. Aura or not, your body suffered a lot of stress." Blake mumbled something to herself, but that went undetected by most of the people at the table.

"Well, the damage to my lungs was thankfully reverted. I do have to take some medicine for a couple of weeks, do some cardio exercise at least three times in a week, eat healthily and all that." He says. "Besides that, most damages were to the muscular and bone tissues. There's not much they can do about that besides just letting my body fix itself. Having aura surely speed things up, but all the pain and soreness are still there."

"Yikes. That's rough, buddy." Nora said, patting him on the back, causing him to wince. "Oops! Sorry!"

"Nora, please try not to send him back to the infirmary," Ren said in a half serious, half amused tone.

"You know that I can't control my strength sometimes, Renny! It happens… Plus, I apologized!"

"It's okay Nora, I'm fine," Jaune said, putting an end to that conversation. "So… Any news about the Festival?"

"Nope. Still happening next week." Yang answered with a sigh. "I know it's for safety measures, but I wish they hadn't postponed the tournament that long!"

"They said two weeks, Yang." Ruby pointed out. "And that was a week ago! It's not that long, and it's not like we are having classes or stuff like that. It's like a free vacation!"

"Not for everyone, though. Those who couldn't do their missions were reassigned for this week." Weiss said. "That's why the school feels so empty."

"Luckily we managed to do ours last week," Pyrrha said. "It would be terrible to lose this opportunity."

"Not to mention the fact that the mission was worth a third of our final grade for the semester," Weiss said. "I feel like we should've been awarded extra points for protecting the city."

"We did technically cause the whole thing by failing to stop the train so…" Ruby scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, I'm with Ruby on that one," Jaune said with a half smile. "But we did our best and got out of there alive, and also got Torchwick in jail, so… yeah. I'd say we did a good job for a bunch of first years."

"Says the guy who fought like a veteran Huntsman." Yang joked. "I mean, your form was sloppy, but you were destroying those Grimm. I don't know how you could use your semblance so well even though you were totally drained. I can barely keep mine up if my aura is below ten percent."

"There are methods to extend the control over your aura reserves," Pyrrha said. "I had to partake in severe training sessions to be able to use my aura fully, but I had never seen something like that. You were bleeding, so that meant your aura was so low that it couldn't serve as a barrier to protect yourself. To unleash that much power with such low aura… It should have completely backfired." She realized how grim her words were, and quickly tried to explain her point. "I-I mean, I'm glad it didn't, but it should be virtually impossible!"

"I guess I was lucky," Jaune said after absorbing the words. Pyrrha hadn't been the first to point that out. He'd been interrogated by every single doctor and aura expert at Beacon's infirmary. Thanks to Doctor Le Fay, they left him alone after a couple days. He couldn't tell them the truth about his abilities, so he did the most reasonable thing he could and labeled it as luck. Dumb luck. Most people seemed to buy it, but clearly not Blake. She got up from the table after those words, not even looking towards his general direction. She left the cafeteria, the door closing behind her with a loud thud.

"Ouch. So... Is everything okay between you and Blake?" Yang asks, not actually needing a confirmation for her actual guesses, but actual context.

"What do you think?" He said with a sigh. "She's mad at me."

"Because you basically tried to kill yourself, doing what you did? Oh my, I'm surprised." Weiss said with a snort. "You scared us all doing that, you know? But Blake was terrified. I don't think I've ever seen someone so desperate."

"I was just trying to do what I thought it was right." He said. "I was scared too, trust me, I was. But I had to do what I could to protect you guys. Why can't she at least understand that?"

"Oh, I just can't…" Weiss takes a deep breath, mumbling something about someone being oblivious. "Can someone take this over for a moment, please. I don't think I can do this."

"Leave it to the professionals, Weiss Cream," Yang said, taking her spot next to Jaune. "Listen, John. She's acting like this because she cares about you."

"And I did that because I care about all of you, including her. I get that I may have pushed my limit and placed myself in danger, but it's our job to protect people!" Especially her, he added mentally. He heard groans across the table but didn't know why.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we should charge to our impending death when there are more than ten people around you who had more chance of survival," Weiss said with a scoff. "Yes. It is our job to protect people." She added before he could counter her argument. "But getting yourself killed in a dumb plan won't save anyone. That's not being a hero, it's being stupid."

"Weiss is right, John," Ruby added, her voice low. "We can't afford to be reckless. Not in times like those, not in the situation we were. We just kept fighting because we had to help, but after the reinforcements arrived, we should have pulled out."

"You two are starting to sound like Blake, too," Jaune said with a frown.

"Because, maybe, she was right to a certain extent. Far more than you are, actually." Weiss sighed. "I don't know exactly how that conversation of yours went, but from what I can gather, and from what we all saw during the breach, she is worried about you. Because it's like you always try to put yourself in danger and what for? It's like you have a death wish."

"I don't."

"Then stop acting like you do!" The heiress exclaimed, unable to restrain herself. "She is worried and scared! She clearly likes you and she's only afraid to start something because you're so selfless that you'll end up killing yourself!" He stood up, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. He left the cafeteria, his food untouched. An uncomfortable silence filled the table. "Maybe I spoke too much."

"Someone had to say it," Yang said with a sigh. "We have to do something about those two."

"I have an idea!" Nora exclaimed excitedly. "I need an empty room, preferably underground, wait! That's a bunker. Okay, I need a bunker, some explosives, ice dust, and pancakes."

"Nora, I don't think there's a bunker nearby," Ren said.

"And I don't think we could get away with causing explosions," Pyrrha added.

"But I think I know what you're trying to do!" Yang said with a huge smile on her face. Her fist pumped the air as she spoke. "Oh, those two won't stand a chance."

 _Stand…_

Jaune didn't know what to expect when Ruby and Weiss dragged him to an empty classroom. Weiss trapped his body in solid ice before he could do anything. So now he stood there, in a block of ice, waiting for answers. Despite his protests, no one came back to, at least, help him get out of his frigid prison. A few minutes later, Yang and Nora entered the room carrying a very irritated Blake. After Nora had assured Blake wouldn't escape by blocking the door, Yang threw a lighter to Blake. She cleared her throat.

"This is an official intervention, brought to you by those who trapped you here. We are locking you up until you solve this thing between you two. You're welcome, I now." She added after their cries of protest. "Blake, you know what the lighter is for. But if you want to heat him up in any other way, be our guest. Also, try not to kill each other, or us, when you get out. That's it, bye!" She left the room, followed by Nora. The lock glowed in black, which meant they got Pyrrha involved. Blake tried to kick the door opened, but it didn't bulge. The lighter was still in her hands. She dropped to her knees with a loud sigh. Her eyes still on the door. Neither of them said a word for the next minutes, but Jaune Jane was getting really uncomfortable due to the cold.

" _Vlad, any body-heating spells?"_ He asked, receiving an immediate response.

" _Thought you would never ask."_ He could imagine him grinning as he said that. _"My, my… What a situation. May I ask, which is colder: the ice, or the cold shoulder she's giving you?"_

" _The spell, Vladimir."_ He mentally growled. He muttered the next words slowly, but he saw Blake's now twitch towards his general direction. Too much for a silent escape. " _Aestus Ego._ " The ice around him slowly started to melt. It had fully melted by the time she spoke to him for the first time in four days.

"It was a stupid plan." She said while getting up, turning to meet his eyes. He was about to argue back, but she kept going before he could. "I meant their plan. Even though they picked a classroom with no windows, there's a vent we can use to escape." She added, pointing upwards. "Your plan was still stupid, by the way."

"At least I had a plan." He rebutted.

"Yeah, a pretty unnecessary plan that made no difference. You don't know because you passed out before you could see the Atlesian military arrive with full force. Their soldiers cleared the area in minutes. If anything, you actually made things more difficult for them, because they couldn't even get close due to the storm you caused." Her voice was calm but cold. "Once again, you just put yourself in danger."

"I've heard that enough from everyone today, okay? Is that all you got?" He asked.

"Maybe because it's the truth. Have you considered that possibility?" She asked sardonically. "Tell me, how many times have you been in the infirmary this semester? Three." She answered before he could. "That's three times more than the rest of us. Most people would've known when to stop playing hero."

"I wasn't playing hero. I just thought…"

"You thought? Wow, it sure didn't look like that." She said, earning a glare from her partner. "Let me guess, you thought that if someone had to die it should be you, so you decided to face a horde of Grimm to block that hole so we all could be safe!" He remained silent, and she couldn't help but snort. "Now, I have to ask, why do you think your life is so unimportant? Are you trying to be a hero just like your family?! Save everyone like they saved you? Ending up being killed in the process like they did?!"

"Don't you dare speak of my family!" He screamed, at the verge of years.

"Why not? It is the truth, isn't it? They died to protect you, so now you feel like it is your… royal duty to do the same every time the opportunity presents itself!"

"STOP!" The ground trembled, and a strong blast of wind knocked Blake backward. She hit her back on the wall. "You have NO right!"

"I have all the right!" She said, getting up from the ground. "You go out there trying to get yourself killed and you expect me to say or do nothing?! It's one thing to die to protect a person that can protect herself, that I can understand. But no one there was defenseless or dying, or in any sort of mortal danger. You know why? Because we fought together. You as a leader should see that better than everyone!" There was a long pause after that. Jaune refused to meet her in the eye, turning around. His body trembled ever so slightly. He absorbed her words and felt broken. She was right, but he didn't mean to do that in the way she thought he did, he just… instinctively did it. But maybe that was the whole point. Did he think that through? Probably not. Yet, he knew he'd do it again if he had to. The silence was uncomfortable and painful. He didn't realize he was crying during her berating him until he lifted a hand up to rub his eye. Maybe that's why she was painfully silent.

"A leader does whatever he can to protect his people." He said slowly and reluctantly. "At the time I thought that it was the best decision, so I did it. You keep adding on facts that neither of us knew during the breach. We were scared. The last thing on my mind was stalling until the Atlesian military took over. My team was hurt. The reinforcements were arriving, but they were spread through the battlefield." He met her eyes again. "Ruby was low on ammo, Weiss had barely enough Dust to keep fighting. We had literally crashed a train just before that happened. From what I knew, my injuries could be nothing compared to yours." He pointed a finger at her. "We didn't know how long we would be fighting! How much Grimm was left! And I thought, well… if by doing this I'll increase their chances of survival, I'll do it. Because a leader must be willing to die for his people. So don't talk to me like I don't know what being a leader is like, or like you wouldn't do the same if we had switched places! Least of all, like you have the right to use my family's death as a justification for my actions!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to if you just…" She stopped herself. "You know what. I won't even argue with you. Because it won't matter anyway. You'll just go back to throw yourself in danger for us, even when we don't need you to."

"Well, finally you said something that made real sense!" He lied. Some stuff she said was really compelling. "I'd really do that!"

"Why?!"

"Because I love you!" He exclaimed. Then there was silence, and Blake was furiously blushing. He felt his own face heating. "…all. I love you all." He blurted out. "You're all like a big, sometimes dysfunctional, family to me. And I'd die to protect you, and the others… yeah. No matter how cliché and dumb this sounds like. Are you happy now?" He heard her sigh and mutter something to herself. She took a deep breath before walking towards him. She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. This time it lasted long enough for his brain to start working again and in time to deepen the kiss. She pulled out a few seconds later. "So… does this means we're okay?"

"You're an idiot." She said with a small smile. It quickly disappeared. "Just promise you'll think of the consequences before jumping into danger like that. I-I… We can't afford to lose you."

"Okay. I'll consider." He smiled, even though she sent him a subtle glare. "Sorry for, uh, you know… Throwing you across the room."

"You did worse damage than that during training sessions. I'm fine." She answers. "Sorry for bringing up your family. I know it's a delicate subject, I went too far."

"Yes, you did." His voice temporarily shifted to a more serious tone. "But I know you are just worried about me, and that you meant well. It hurt quite a lot, to be honest."

"Sorry, but you don't know how it is like for us when you end up in the infirmary." She said with a sigh. "First, there's the excruciating wait for the doctors to say how bad the situation is. Then there's the awful night of sleep because we're too worried that you may get worse while you sleep." She frowned at the memories. "This time, with your life was actually on the table. It was too much. I was stressed and angry with this whole situation, and I ended up getting it all out on you. It was your fault that you ended up in such a bad condition, after all." She adds with a shrug. "I'm still upset about your recklessness, but I can't be mad at you anymore."

"Because you fancy me?" He asked smugly.

"I take it back." She said, glaring at him. He chuckled and then grabbed her hand. He looked her in the eye and spoke seriously.

"I'm sorry. I never thought of how me getting into the infirmary affected you guys. I knew you all got worried about me, but I never thought…" He sighed softly. "I'll try my best to avoid it. Unless it is a life or death situation." She seemed satisfied with his answer because there was no counterargument. They stood there in comfortable silence for a couple seconds. "Oh, I fancy you, too, by the way."

"Oh. That." She released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I wasn't sure."

"I have for a while." He said awkwardly. "I like a lot of things about you."

"Like what?"

"There's nothing like your smile. Sort of… subtle, and perfect, and real." He said, causing her to smile. **(A/N: I'm like, really addicted to "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Heathers" right now. Especially the songs "If I Could Tell Her" and "Requiem" from DEH, so I had to add a reference somewhere** **:P)** "There it is. I also like your laugh, but I heard your laugh only… twice, I guess? It's sweet and contagious. I like your determination, even though sometimes it's just plain stubbornness." He smiled at that. "I like your eyes and your cat ears. I love how they sometimes move on their own according to your emotions. It's cute."

"Okay, stop." She said, embarrassed by his words. "I guess this means we're…"

"Together? I-I mean if that's okay with you." He said, maybe a bit too fast.

"Yes, I think I'd like that." She leaned in for a kiss. Shorter than the previous, but enough to seal the deal. Yang entered the room a second after their faces separated, his hands still on Blake's waist.

"Okay! Just checking in on you two and…" She realized their situation and gave a devilish smirk to the duo. "Oops! It looks like you're in the middle of something. I'll let the others know." She made her way back to the door. "I'll let the door unlocked. Use protection!" She said before finally leaving the room. Blake and Jaune groaned in embarrassment.

"What are the chances of us getting out there without being assaulted by our group of friends?" He asked her.

"Non-existent." She answered flatly. "We could still use the vent, it would borrow us some time."

"We could move to Vacuo, start a whole new life as bounty hunters. I'd change my name to Jasper Darling and you could be Veronica Padparadscha." She stifled a laugh.

"Yeah, sure. Two lone wolves living similar lifestyles, forced to meet by destiny." She snorted. "That's book material. We could move to Mistral instead and write the adventures of JD and Veronica."

"No, that way our faces would be too public. They'd find us and hunt us down like a pack of Beowolves." He retorted jokingly. As if said pack had heard their cue to interrupt them, the door opened, revealing four euphoric girls, a very conflicted Pyrrha (mostly due to not knowing how to react), and Ren, who was clearly dragged along. Oh, and Zwei, just being his usual adorable self. "Run, Veronica!" He screamed. Blake was already ahead of him, climbing up the vent.

The hunt had begun, and Veronica Padparadscha wouldn't let herself be caught.

* * *

 **So, yeah... that was it! I was very conflicted during the argument scene, especially how I would end it. The transition was hard to write and I hope I did a good job. I literally had to do some search on how to end arguments like those cohesively (Show affection - Show vulnerability - Try to empathize with their point of view - Explain why you were mad - Get to common ground), though I'm sure it was for relationship problems... Well, it works for me! So... Yay!**

 **Next chapter: August 12th.**


	20. Chapter 19: Round One!

**Hello, everyone! I hope you like this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it for some reason.**

 **Also, I'm starting college this week so... Wish me luck! Hopefully, it shouldn't affect my writing schedule.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Weiss, to your left!" The heiress dodged a blow from one of the boys from team ABRN. She parried the next blows from his staff, waiting for the perfect opportunity to riposte. He made her work hard for that opening. He was agile, more than she gave him credit for. But it only took a shot from Jaune to momentarily distract him. Weiss quickly thrust her rapier in a flurry, causing considerable damage to the boy's aura. He created some distance between them, allowing her to check her surroundings. Blake and Ruby were against Arslan and Nadir, respectively, while her leader fought against Reese. Bolin, her current opponent, closed the gap between them once more, which put her on the defensive again. A boulder of slightly molten rock flew between them, causing them to fall back. "Do you want to switch opponents?" Jaune asked her while shooting at Reese's general direction.

"Sure!" After hearing her answer he immediately engaged the boy. Close range fights were his strong suit, while Weiss would be more suitable against Reese, her attacks more versatile. The heiress cast a glyph under herself and then several others, using them as platforms to catch up with her new opponent. Jaune parried a swing from Bolin's staff but got hit on his ankle. The black-haired boy then used his staff as an anchoring point to use a roundhouse kick, followed by a vertical swing of his staff. The kick missed Jaune by an inch, but the staff hit its target. Recovering from the blow, Jaune took cover behind his shield and bashed Bolin in the stomach, followed by a series of slashes. Bolin, momentarily stunned, had no option but to take the damage. With a final punch at the boy's right temple, he was knocked out. The buzzer rang a moment later and the voices of Professor Oobleck and Port filled the Arena along with the cheering crowd.

"And with that Bolin Hori, from team ABRN, was eliminated!" Professor Port exclaimed. "Excellent news for team BWBR, who now have superiority in numbers."

"Yes, but it looks like Miss Rose and Miss Belladonna are having difficulties of their own!" Oobleck rebutted. Arslan, the other team leader, tried to close the gap between herself and Ruby, where she'd clearly have an advantage. That resulted in Ruby constantly moving around with her semblance, creating as much distance as possible while Blake got a couple hits on Arslan, ignoring Nadir, who fired an electrified barrage of bullets. Luckily for Blake, a wall of solid ice rose from the ground between them, blocking the shots. Weiss had arrived at the fight, Reese right back on her tail.

Arslan had her attention now fully on Blake. Her strikes were precise and powerful, and Blake had to take an extra care to avoid them, creating copy after copy of herself, dodging and hitting, hitting and running. Jaune finally caught up to them, immediately going after their range fighter. He dashed and used his shield as cover, but forgot about Nolan's electrified bullets. He tried to let go of his shield, but his fingers were clenched shut due to the electricity running through his body. Thankfully for him, Ruby appeared behind Nolan in a burst of rose petals, hitting the boy with the blunt side of Crescent Rose. Nolan was thrown back a few meters, his back crashing against Weiss's ice wall. Ruby followed up with a series of slashes that kept him at bay. Seeing that Ruby had control over that situation, Jaune ran towards Weiss, his muscles still spasming from the shock.

Weiss was losing her upper hand. While she had more variety, Reese had mobility. She was doing a good job by dodging everything the heiress threw at her, but she couldn't get in close range without getting hit. Jaune looked over to the lava field on the other side of the arena and an idea came to his mind.

"Winter Soldier!" He said, summoning Theodore from the molten field. Weiss cast a glyph underneath the Golem, ice quickly melting and then evaporating from the fiery rock. Steam rose up, covering the field, forcing Reese to fly lower. A rocky, now cooled hand, grabbed Reese by her hoodie and threw her outside the arena. Her hoverboard now discarded on the floor. The buzzer confirmed her defeat, followed by Oobleck's voice.

"Reese Chloris was eliminated by ring-out! And by the looks of it, Nadir Shiko may be next! Miss Rose clearly outmatches him in close combat." The Doctor said confidently. "I guess that means sometimes it may be good to bring a blade to a gunfight." The buzzer rang again. "And that's it for Mr. Shiko! That leaves Arslan Altan, the leader of team ABRN, on her own against the team from Beacon. Let's see how she'll handle this disadvantage."

Ruby was the first to reach Blake, blocking a punch with her scythe. Weiss reached her second, using glyphs to give her enough velocity to inflict a devastating blow with Myrtenaster. Arslan was thrown back due to the impact, turning around just in time to avoid a vertical slash from Jaune's sword. She punched him in the stomach, a silver metallic rope wrapping around his shield arm. With a pull he was forced to drop the shield, also bringing him closer to her, allowing Arslan to deliver a series of punches. Without his shield, he dodged some of her blows and counterattack with his own punches. His aura was quickly approaching the red and so was Arslan's. The match ended, however, when Blake sneaked behind the girl, delivering the finishing blow.

"And there's the match! Victory goes to team BWBR from Beacon Academy!" Oobleck announced, followed by the cheers of the crowd. "What an exciting match to begin this year's tournament!"

"We did it!" Ruby exclaimed, tackling Blake and Jaune in a hug. Weiss was right behind her, an approving smile on her face.

"Good job, everyone!" Jaune said with a smile. "We fought well."

"We could've done better," Weiss said, crossing her arms. Her smile hadn't left her face, however. "For example, we could've thought of other ways of defeating Nolan and Arslan that didn't involve you taking the damage until we arrive."

"But it worked, right?" He rebutted jokingly. "We'll be more prepared for the second round. Two against two. Fewer people to worry about." He said as they left the arena. "It's hard to keep track of so many people fighting at once."

"True. Still, it wouldn't kill to formulate some kind of strategies beforehand. Especially involving terrain." Blake added.

"Nah! I'm sure John and Weiss can take whatever they throw at them." Ruby said excitedly. "Can we go to the fair grounds now? I'm kind of hungry."

"Well, our first victory calls for a celebration," Jaune said with a smile. "Lead the way, Ruby."

Celebration…

"So, where do we go first?" Jaune asked once they arrived at the food stands. The air was filled with a mixture of delicious smells, people were talking and laughing, playing games at the more distant stands or simply eating at the tables supplied by the various restaurants. It was a nice, inviting atmosphere.

"Oh! I know a place! Yang and I used to go to this restaurant all the time when we went to Vale, she told me the owner got a stand here! The food is so good! You guys have to try!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Weiss said with a half smile. "Do you know where it is, at least?"

"Well, it shouldn't be far…" Ruby said, looking around. "I'm sure we'll find eventually. Plus, we can see where we can stop after for dessert on our way there!"

"Oh, I know exactly the place we can go for dessert," Jaune said with a smile. "Let's go find your place, Ruby."

"Might be hard to eat without this." Someone behind them said. They turned around to see Emerald, an exchanged student whom they got along well. She has Ruby's wallet in her right hand. Her partner, Mercury, who Jaune recalled having fought against, was right beside her.

"Oh, no!" Ruby searches her pockets, finding them empty. She sighs in relief. "Thanks, Emerald, I can't believe I dropped it!"

"No problem." The mint-haired girl said dismissively, handing back the wallet to Ruby. "We saw your fight. You guys did a great job."

"Thank you," Weiss said politely. "Has your team fought already?"

"Yeah, we were right after your fight actually," Mercury said. "It ended a couple minutes ago. We just arrived."

"We won, by the way," Emerald added. "I found Ruby's wallet in the changing rooms." Ruby snapped her fingers in realization.

"Oh, congratulations! Are your other teammates around then? You must be celebrating, like us!" Ruby said excitedly. "Maybe you guys can tag along? We were just talking about going to this place…"

"Nah, we're good. We just wanted to check out the fair grounds before going back to our dorms." Emerald says with a smile. "Thanks for the invite, though."

"So, can I hope for a rematch later on the tournament?" Mercury asked Jaune, who raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to the doubles round then?" He asked.

"We both are," Emerald answered.

"That sounds promising. Weiss and I are going to the next round. Maybe we'll face each other again." Jaune said.

"I hope so," Mercury said with a smirk. "I've been waiting for that rematch."

"And if we end up fighting against each other in the doubles round, don't think we'll go easy on you two," Emerald said with a playful smile.

"That goes both ways." The heiress rebutted in the same light tone.

"Well, nice talking to you guys, but we better be going now," Emerald said. "See you guys soon!" They exchanged goodbyes and walked away.

"It was nice of her to stop by and return your wallet," Weiss said. "They'll be great opponents to face against."

"Though I'm sure we can take them," Jaune said playfully.

"Well, let's get going! I'm starving!" Ruby exclaimed, dragging Weiss and Jaune by their arms. Blake followed close behind, an amused smile plastered on her face.

Face…

Jaune was now facing the enormous bowl of noodles in front of him cautiously. That was the regular portion? The old man who ran the shop appeared once again, delivering Blake her special dish. He just put fish, he snorted internally at how Blake drooled at the dish. Weiss picked her credit card out of her pocket and gave it to the man.

"You don't have to." He said Weiss waved her hand nonchalantly.

"But I want to." She rebutted. "Consider it thanks for sending me to the doubles round." Her card was thrown on the table. They stated stared at the old man, who stood next to the register. The word "Declined" stood out in bright red letters. "What?! That's impossible!" Jaune reached for his pocket, grabbing enough Lien to pay the bill. The old man accepted it with a nod.

"Don't worry about it. Let's make it on me. I am your team leader, and you all performed marvelously." He said with a smile. Before Weiss could protest, Team LPYN joined them.

"I knew I would find you guys here!" Yang grinned. "Ruby wouldn't stop until convincing you all to eat here. Best noodles in town!" She sat down on a stool next to Ruby, at the right side of the stand. "We'll all have the regular, please." The shopkeeper nodded again, this time with a smile. He came back some moments later with their food.

"Are you sure it is wise to eat before a fight?" Pyrrha asked, frowning at the portion displayed in front of her.

"It will give us energy!" Nora exclaimed, already digging in. "So we can kick butt like you did! It was awesome!"

"Thanks, Nora," Jaune said with a smile. "I'm sure you guys will do awesome too."

"Of course we will! Nora and I are unstoppable powerhouses, Pyrrha is a four-time-champion, and Ren is basically a ninja!" Yang stated proudly. "You're the ones who should be worried about having to face is us later on."

"Let's not get overconfident," Ren said calmly. "One step at a time."

"Yeah, Yang. Don't forget we also have our own ninja." Ruby said, gesturing towards Blake. "Not to mention my dear partner, resident Dust Expert, and the smartest girl in our year. The fastest girl of our year, wielder of the most amazing weapon, the sniper of the snipers, represented by yours truly. Not to mention John, whatever kind of demigod he is. He and Weiss would crush you on the doubles round."

"Oh, so you two are going to the next round," Pyrrha said with a smile. "I can't say I wasn't expecting John to proceed, but I thought he'd pair up with you, Blake." Said girl stopped eating for a moment to actually partake in the conversation.

"Oh. Well, it was a matter of versatility, actually. With their semblances combined and Weiss's dust, it wasn't that difficult to make that decision." She glanced at Jaune. "Besides, we still have yet to master our team attacks." She said with a small smirk. He avoided her eyes, his face heating up slightly.

"So, I'm guessing you are going to the next round, Pyrrha. Who is going with you?" He asked Pyrrha in an attempt to change the subject.

"I am," Yang said before Pyrrha could. "Can't let my partner get all the fun."

"But first we have a match to win and legs to break!" Nora exclaimed, finishing her noodles with a satisfied burp.

"Nora, I'm pretty sure we'd be disqualified if we broke someone's leg," Ren said with a sigh. "Speaking of which, we should hurry. Our match will begin soon."

"How did she eat so fast?" Ruby half-whispered, her eyes wide open in awe.

"I'm sure we got time to, at least, finish our meal. You're have barely eaten half of it so far." Ren sighed again, pushing what was left in his bowl for Nora, who gladly accepted it. Yang turned her attention to Ruby. "So, you guys are watching our fight, right?"

"Of course we are!" Ruby said excitedly. "You guys watched ours! Plus, I want to see who you're up against too."

"Team BRNZ, if I remember correctly. They're from Vacuo." Ren said.

"Oh! I know one of them!" Ruby exclaimed. "I find May every now and then in the shooting area. She has a sniper rifle like I do. She's very good."

"Own, look at you, making friends with other people." Yang cooed, messing with Ruby's hair. "I'm so proud!"

"Stop!" Ruby said with a huff, covering her head with her arms. She did not look amused at all. "Can you just stop teasing me all the time? It was fine when it was every once in a while, but now you're just a nuisance!" Ruby turned to Weiss and whispered. "Did I use the right word?"

"Yes," Weiss said, awestruck by Ruby's sudden outburst. "Very cohesive."

"What?" And Ruby was back.

"Correct. You used it correctly." Weiss said with a sigh.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Ruby turned back to face Yang, who was also dumbfounded by Ruby's reaction. For a couple seconds, no one said a thing.

"I… Sorry," Yang said, sounding surprised. "I guess I didn't really notice."

"Just stop, please," Ruby said, her focus now on her food. The heavy atmosphere was still there, but not that tense to the point that no one talked. Jaune turned to face Blake, getting his stool closer to hers.

"I guess the saying was right." He whispered to her. "Everyone has a breaking point."

"True." She answered in the same volume. "There's only so much someone can take." She added with a shrug. "That wasn't her true breaking point, though. Usually when people hit it things go way messier."

"Good point. You talked as a real expert on the subject." He said with a grin.

"I hit mine a couple weeks ago, so yeah. I'm basically an expert." She said nonchalantly.

"I made you hit your breaking point?" He asked with a subtle frown.

"You made me go way past it, actually." She snorted. "I destroyed a lot of training bots that night. Cried me to sleep."

"I-I'm sorry, I…" She pressed a finger against his mouth.

"It doesn't matter now." She said with a sad smile. "It wasn't only about you. I had a lot of things bottled up. The White Fang, the Breach, all those civilian deaths…" He grabbed her hand from his lips and gave it a light squeeze.

"It wasn't our fault. We did our best…"

"I know. I blame Torchwick. I blame whoever is in command of the White Fang." She said, always resolute. "But at the time it was hard not to blame me. If I had been faster, if I had managed to discover more about their plans, maybe…" She sighed. "I don't know. I'm done with it now, mostly. Then, there was also you. You almost died and you said you'd do it again without hesitation. I almost lost you, and you still just didn't understand how…" She stopped herself. "But we're okay now. More than okay. I got my message through that thick skull of yours and I'm still going to try and track the Fang. Things can get better."

"They will." He said, kissing her forehead. "And, for the record, I'm still sorry for that."

"You better be." She replied with a grin. "Can I guilt trip you into helping me?"

"As if I'd let you search by yourself." He answered jokingly, his grin matching hers. "We should go grab some desserts. I know that's definitely going to cheer us up."

Cheer…

The crowd was cheering for the contestants entering the arena. Teams LPYN and BRNZ stood on opposite sides, combat ready. The arena randomizer stopped, revealing what terrain they would fight into. Forestry rose from a side of the field and a large mountain from the other, dark clouds hovering above it. The countdown began and the crowd got even louder.

"Three… Two… One... Begin!" Port announced, and the fighters advanced. May ran to the opposite direction of her teammates, Jaune noticed. Climbing up a tree.

"So she still hasn't decided on a close range weapon," Ruby mumbled to herself. Jaune took notice of that and turned to her.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"She's a range fighter only. She wanted to, you know, cover her weak spot. If they get too close, she's toast." Ruby said as they watched Pyrrha and Yang face the three boys as Nora and Ren ran towards the forest. "I would've at least put a blade in there, like a detachable bayonet that she could use, like a knife or something, turn the sniper rifle into a hybrid gun. Rapid fire, like a mg60 or probably something with less recoil."

"Interesting." Ren and Nora got closer but had to stop and take cover behind a rock. One of May's teammates noticed their plan and ran towards them, baton in hand. Yang tried to run after him but was hit by a bullet. Her aura dropped 15%, and she had above average aura reserves. "That's a lot of damage."

"I know, right? Rule number one of every combat video game. Always take down the snipers first." Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Well, but that's when they don't know about your presence. I don't know. What would you do?"

"If we were against them I'd send you and Weiss through opposite sides of the field while Blake and I took care of the others." A similar plan to Ren's, it would seem, but with a crucial difference. "You and Weiss are the fastest, so you'd have more chance of reaching her. Putting you on opposite sides would make her question who to shoot. You two would take her down and then come back to help us. Ren has a problem, however. He is fast, there's no doubt about that, but his team isn't. Pyrrha is the only one who is close to matching his speed, but she's his best fighter so he told her to stay back with Yang. I'd do the complete opposite. Use Nora's grenades as a smokescreen and send Pyrrha there. She has something they don't, a shield. Not to mention her semblance."

"She'd be untouchable," Weiss concluded, indicating she had been paying attention to the conversation. "Plus, the smokescreen would be the perfect cover. No one would see her doing it."

"Exactly. If May managed to shoot the right place, anyways. She's good, but to hit someone in the middle of a smokescreen? That's unlikely." He added.

"They're doing fine on their own, however," Blake commented as Pyrrha single-handedly faces two opponents and Yang went after the third, shotgun gauntlets ablaze. Ren jumped from tree to tree following May, who was now also on the move. "A bit messy, just like our fight, but still…"

"Hey, it's easier to come up with a plan when you're just watching. Being there was really stressful, to begin with." Jaune said with a pout.

"Well, I hope you get over it because I'm not willing to just run around without a concrete plan," Weiss said, a perfect eyebrow raised.

"I'll work on it. Worst case scenario I'll tank the damage and you blow them up with fire dust."

"I sincerely hope you're joking," Blake said with a frown.

"Hey, we'll only know when we get there." He said playfully. His eyes wandered through the cheering crowd. Poisonous green eyes stared back from the VIP section. Perhaps the trip had been worth after all.

Cinder hadn't lied when she said Vale looked lovely this time of year.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: August 26.**


	21. Chapter 20 - Sonder

**Sorry everyone, I know I'm late. College is taking a lot more time than I expected. To make things worse, my notebook broke, so there's that. I can't check for some grammar mistakes without it, so feel free to inform me of any mistakes from now on. I'm uploading this from my cellphone, and I probably will keep uploading from it for the next months. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter. A bit of a filler, to be honest, but we should get to the doubles round next chapter.**

"Great fight Sun!" Ruby exclaimed as the boys joined them outside the arena.

"Yeah, you guys did very well against NDGO. They were the crowd favorite." Jaune adds, patting Sun in the back.

"Thanks guys! I mean, things could've been a lot smoother if Neptune wasn't such a baby, but we won! And that's all that matters now." The Faunus said, not hiding his excitement.

"Hey! I helped! I basically took three of them by myself!" Neptune argues, pouting. "At least I didn't get knocked out without even helping." He said, thumb pointing at Sage.

"Her semblance caught me by surprise!" Sage exclaimed. "At least I went to fight head on instead of running like a..." Scarlet placed himself between the two, like a parent breaking a fight between his children.

"That's enough, we all did what we could." He said, his voice was calm, but a bit tired. "There's no use in fighting over a match where we ended up as victors. We should celebrate, if anything."

"Scarlet's right! You guys wanna join us?" Sun asked them.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I have somewhere else to be right now." Weiss said. A tentative smile threatening to appear on her face. "My sister just arrived at Beacon. I saw her airship flying by as we watched your match."

"Oooh! I want to meet your sister! Is she like Yang?" Ruby asked. Jaune laughed internally of how Weiss's face paled at the thought.

"Not at all!" She exclaimed. "You're all welcome to join me, however. I'm sure Winter would like to meet my teammates."

"It's settled then." Jaune said with a smile. He turned back to Sun. "We'll join you guys later. I'm sure that after Weiss will ditch us after reuniting with her sister, so we can go and celebrate with you guys." Weiss opened her mouth to argue, but silently agreed.

"Great!" Sun exclaimed excitedly. "I'll text you guys where to meet us." He walked away with his team, throwing a subtle wink at Ruby, who blushed slightly.

"Oooh, look at that. Is there something you aren't telling us, Ruby?" Jaune teased with a smirk. Ruby blushed deeper.

"Not you too, please. I got enough from Yang." Ruby groaned.

"She knows?" Blake inquired. "And Sun's still alive and walking?"

"It's not like we're dating like you two." She said, gesturing towards Blake and Jaune. "It's like, I don't know. I like him, but he's here for the tournament only. I guess that's the reason Sun is still walking between us." She chuckled softly. "I told Yang about it and she was incredibly supportive. She gave me advice to just, you know, try it. If by the end of the semester I still have feelings for him, and if he feels the same for me we'll make it work. But it's not official. It's... uh... How did she say it? A test drive before the real thing?"

"It was incredibly mature coming from both of you." Weiss said. "I'm sure things will go well, and if they don't... Yang won't be the only one hunting him down." Blake and Jaune showed similar faces of agreement.

"Aww, thanks! You guys are the best, but please don't hurt him."

"I can't make such promise. It depends on how things will go, for the better or the worse." Jaune joked. "But I hope it works out. Sun's a nice guy." He adds with a encouraging smile.

"Yeah, he is." Ruby mumbled softly before snapping out of it. "Well, let's hurry though! I'm sure Weiss is dying to see her sister!"

Sister...

"Winter!" Weiss exclaimed as soon as she saw her sister. A tall, beautiful woman with the same hair and eye color as the heiress. She turned around from the group of robotic soldiers assigned to her and looked at her sister. The remaining members of BWBR waited a few meters behind her, giving her some privacy to talk to her sister.

"Good to see you again, sister." She said, her voice steady and perhaps a bit distant.

"It's so good to see you! What are you doing here? Why didn't you sent me a letter so I could..." Weiss started rambling until Winter raised a hand for her to stop.

"The motive for my short visit is classified. However, it was also a great opportunity to see you." Winter said, the ice on her voice thawing out. "I saw your fight on my way here."

"You did? What did you..."

"Your form has improved, but I still saw at least five openings missed and eight given. Luckily your opponents weren't able to exploit them, or your fight would've had a completely different result." She pointed out, causing Weiss to slow down a bit in shame. "Considering it all, you performed nicely." That seemed to cheer her up again.

"Thank you. I'll improve, I promise." Weiss said with a short bow. "I'll train much harder for my fight during the double rounds."

"I'm sure you will." Winter replied politely before releasing a small sigh. "So, tell me how you've been doing."

"Oh! Excellently, as expected. My grades are clearly on top of the class and my combat skills are placed highly above my peers. I actually managed to..." She was interrupted by Winter again, this time the older sister gripping her shoulders lightly.

"I didn't ask for your academics. I asked how you've been. Are you eating properly? Are you actually enjoying classes? Are you making new friends?" She asked and Weiss couldn't help but to smile.

"Well, there are my teammates, whom I get along swimmingly. Our team managed to also befriend another team. Team LPYN, they live right across our room, and we went through initiation together." The heiress said. "I believe I told you about them in my letters."

"Indeed. Very well, I would like to meet those teammates you always write about." Winter said while looking towards their general direction. Weiss turned to face them and signed them to approach.

"Well..." Weiss started as her team stood next to her. "These are my teammates. Ruby Rose, my partner. Jonathan Beauregard, our team leader and Blake Belladonna, his partner. Together, we make team BWBR."

"A pleasure to formally meet you. Weiss spoke volumes of your talent and skill." Jaune said, extending his hand towards Winter. She eyed him analytically, her eyes discreetly widening for a moment in surprise and mild recognition. She shook his hand calmly, her head thinking on a thousand arguments and possibilities.

"I can say the same." She said. "I haven't heard of a living heir to the Beauregard state since the death of Daniel Beauregard. Your father, I presume?"

"Yes." He sent a quick confused look at Weiss, who had the same look on her face.

"I wasn't aware he had a son, and I was pretty close to the Arc family during their reign, and by association, the Beauregard family. You also don't share their brown eyes and dark hair..." She kept pressing the matter, and Jaune started to feel tense.

"I lived with my mother during most of my childhood, I got my hair and eyes from her side of the family. We didn't hang around the palace a lot, especially after what happened." He answered back, hoping that the touchy subject would be enough for her to cease her questions.

"My condolences, then. We all lost loved ones in that terrible night." She said, and Jaune released a small sigh of relief. He felt Blake's hand brush against his in silent support. Winter seemed about to keep up with the interrogation, but luckily he could always count on Blake.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately the two of us will have to get going." The girl said with a small smile, clinging to his arm. He raised an eyebrow at her unusual gesture. "We have a date to attend. I do hope you have a great stay at Beacon, though. I'm sure Weiss is dying to show you the campus."

"Y-Yes!" Weiss, who was also confused, but acknowledging what Blake was trying to do, decided to play along with it. "If you have time, Winter, of course."

"I suppose you could take me to your quarters." Winter said, still looking between Blake and Jaune. Her eyes were enough to tell them this conversation wasn't over. "Do enjoy your evening. It was lovely to meet you." She said, no warmth in her voice.

"Likewise." Blake said in the same tone. Grabbing Jaune by his arm, they turned around and walked away from the older Schnee. Hopefully Weiss would have that under control. "What was that about?"

"I don't know!" He half-whispered. "She knows something, or at least is suspecting something. Weiss told us once that Winter was at the same team as one of my sisters when she attended Atlas Academy. She might have recognized me somehow, I don't know!"

"How did your cover last this long?" Blake asked him. "Honestly, the gaps on your past are tremendous."

"When you are under the wing of a telepath, you don't have people questioning that very frequently." He answered back. "Thank you for the save, though. I didn't knew what to do."

"You're welcome. But you should really consider telling the whole story to the girls. They could've helped, and I think they deserve to know." She said, earning a nod from her partner.

"I know. I just don't know how. This kind of information will only endanger them more." He said with a sigh.

"But they'll know what they'll face." Blake argued. "You can't hide that from them forever."

"You're right. I will tell them." He grabbed her hand. "But, for now, how about that date?"

"I was hoping we could just rest." She said. "All this crowd and noise gets tiring after a while."

"We could go to that bookstore you like. You know, the one that sells that fancy coffee and those tuna sandwiches you love." Her bow twitched at the word "tuna", and Jaune barely contained a smirk.

"That works for me. Yes, let's go." She dragged him by his arm to the nearest bullhead. Nothing else could compete with her love of books, tuna and coffee.

Except maybe himself, he hoped.

Hope...

He received a message from his mother a few hours later. He was sharing a comfy loveseat with Blake, who snuggled against him, a book on a hand and a cup of black coffee on the other. He was entertaining himself with a book she recommended him, and playing with her hair. It felt nice. Normal. He quickly grabbed his scroll, hoping for the best. The message was short and direct.

"Meet me at my office. Quick." It read. He sighed. He showed the message to Blake, who eyed it warily.

"Do you think it is about Winter?" She ponders.

"I don't know. She didn't give much information to work with. But it must be important, knowing her. She usually calls." He said as they got up. They went to the cashier to pay for the books and the food. Before Blake could grab her wallet, Jaune have the man a credit card. "It is our first date, technically." He said before she could argue. "Let me spoil you with a book and some sandwiches."

"Nope. I'll pay for my book." She said, handing over enough lien to the clerk. "I'm going to humor you on the food, though. Just this time." She said with a smirk, grabbing her book.

"I'll take that as a win then." He said, grabbing his own book he had just purchased. "Let's see what this is all about."

What...

"What happened while we were gone?" He pondered, looking at a huge crater in the middle of Beacon's courtyard. Blake shrugged.

"Probably a fight between some students. Or maybe one of Nora's grenades went stray while she was training. The possibilities are endless."

"It wouldn't be the first time." He said, referring to the number of holes caused by the ginger valkyrie. It was a miracle that the school was still standing. The couple entered the combat class building. The arena was empty due to the lack of classes, still they found the deputy headmistress checking through some data on the screens. Jaune cleared his throat, indicating their arrival.

"Mr. Beauregard, I'm glad you finally decided to show up." She said warily, eyeing Blake cautiously. "I'm afraid the subject of our conversation is not a public matter, so if you could please ask your partner to wait for you outside…"

"Girlfriend, actually. We just came back from Vale." Glynda was momentarily stunned by the declaration. "And whatever you have to say, mom, you can say in front of her. She knows everything." He said, looking his mother in the eye and emphasizing the last word. "Whatever conversation we have is going to be passed on to her by myself."

"You seem to really trust her, then." He looked at his partner and smiled softly.

"With my life." Blake seemed a bit shocked by his declaration, and by the way he persuaded his mother to let her stay. She felt a smile creep up in the corners of her mouth.

"Very well." Glynda says finally, after eyeing the pair approvingly. "To my office, then." They followed the professor to a little hallway, wide enough for Blake and Jaune walk side by side. At the very end, a exquisitely crafted set of double doors stood tall. With a flick of Glynda's wrist, the intricate details and swirls carved in the wood glowed purple. The door glowed for a few seconds before finally opening. If they weren't impressed already, they would be when they entered the room.

As soon as Glynda stepped inside, the room gained life. Paperwork flew above their heads, ready to be filed. Letters were open and placed neatly over the large mahogany desk at the very end of the room. Bookshelves and file cabinets filled the room, and intricate weapons from swords and bows to pistols and rifles decorated the walls. A sweet smell filled the air, and they looked to their right to see a tea pot steering itself. Glynda gestured to the seats in front of her desk and they sat, still in awe.

"Does every teacher gets a room like this?" Blake asked, gladly accepting a teacup that presented itself in front of her.

"Yes. Doctor Oobleck has his study, professor Peach put together her private laboratory and professor Port has…" She sighs. "Fort Port. Don't ask. I presume you find my office accommodating, then, Miss Belladonna?"

"Yes, I've never seen anything like it. It's like this room is filled with life and magic, for the lack of a better term." Blake said, meeting the green eyes of the professor. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you." Glynda said, a hint of a smile on her face. "Now that we're alone, we can go to the problem we're going to face."

"That is…?" Jaune asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Michael Rasputin, current ruler of Arkend, is here, at Vale." She said, straight to the point. Jaune's face fell, and he saw how Blake seemed to tense up by his side.

"How?" He asked, unable to think of anything else.

"Political reasons, apparently. He wants Madrigal Academy to be able to partake in the tournament. Not immediately, of course, since the school is not yet completely built, but once they start accepting students Arkend will have a representative school in the tournament. This visit is merely diplomatic, so to speak." Glynda paused, taking some time to let the information sink in. She took a sip of tea before proceeding. "Of course, it would be foolish of us to ignore his presence. Ozpin and Ironwood have eyes on him at his every single step. It's one of the few things they agree on."

"Do you think he would be reckless enough to try something against John?" Blake asked, Glynda simply shook her head in disagreement.

"He's not going to risk his reputation, specially during an event of this magnitude. He's got eyes all around him and he knows it. Media, the Council, us, he won't risk to lose all he has built just to get him." She said, making Jaune relax a little. Her eyes met his, and he could see the worry, the stress, and determination behind them. "However, it doesn't mean he won't send someone to do his dirty work. Whether he's here for you or not, just stay alert. Don't go anywhere alone without at least notifying your teammates or myself. Carry your scroll with you at all times and do not underestimate him. Just because he's being watched, it doesn't mean he's powerless." She said, glancing behind them, her eyes focusing on a cracked spear hung up on her wall. "He's got a thing for deceiving and acting behind the shadows."

"I'll be careful. I promise." He said with a sharp nod. Blake grabbed his hand under the table. The gesture went not unnoticed by Glynda.

"I'll make sure he'll be. I won't leave his side, an if I'm not able to, I'll make sure Weiss or Ruby won't either." She stated, resolute.

"Your concern is appreciated, Miss Belladonna. Please make sure he'll stay low and secure. We both know how he can be a handful." Glynda said, a hint of a smile on the corners of her lips. Blake nodded, barely restraining a smirk of her own. Were they… Teaming up against him? That was a scary thought, for sure. "Do try to resume your usual activities. Don't try to stand out, don't make it look like you know something. Stick to those you trust, and don't be reckless." They both looked at him. Yup, team up, right there. He threw his hands up in the air on defeat with an exasperated sigh.

"I'll keep my head down! I'll try my best, at least. Blake can punch me if I step out of the line." He said, hoping they would leave it be.

"I wasn't going to ask for permission, but consider it done." She said with a smirk. He was lucky to have her, he realized. And while Michael were in Vale, she wouldn't be safe. None of his friends would be safe. Perhaps Blake was right after all, they were going to get involved one way or another. He would just have to make sure they knew what they were fighting against.

*

 **Next chapter: IDK, hopefully by the end of this month.**


	22. Chapter 21 - Epiphany

**I'm not dead, yay!**

 **Sorry for the huge delay, but college life proved to be quite consuming. Luckily I'm on a break now, so I'll be back to writing.**

 **I'm not sure if I will keep up with the schedule (TBH, probably not), but I'll try to release chapters as soon as I finish them.**

 **My goal is to finish Volume 3, and start Volume 4 before February ends, so wish me luck :)**

 **-x-**

"I don't think you know the predicament we're in," Weiss said in between sharp breaths. A fanfare of trumpets disrupted their senses and their cover as the ice wall they were using as protection cracked and shattered, large chunks of ice scattering and melting due to the fiery ground. A blur of mismatched colors entered their line of sight, albeit a bit too late. John took the damage of the first strikes, giving enough time for Weiss to step back and flick the girl away with a well-placed repulsion glyph. "Any ideas?" She asked, slicing the air with her rapier as a wave of fire made their opponents duck and hide.

"Just one. The girl is too fast for us, but we have an excellent field control here. We can make her ride an obstacle course. She'll be bound to fall or get hit, then she'll be out," John said, flickering his fingers as large chunks of rock crumbled and were thrown at their opponents like hail. The neon-colored girl quickly hid behind her partner, as he blew the fragments away with his trumpet.

"He's a glass cannon." Weiss pointed out as they hid behind a boulder. "His range abilities are devastating, but if we manage to get close enough, he shouldn't be a problem. There's his semblance to take in consideration, however. Not to mention his partner's speed. She'll be able to reach him fast, shall we get to close."

"We take her down first then. You distract him with an elemental onslaught. Make sure to play with the field, create walls, cracks on the ground, inclinations, anything that might make her trip. I'll charge him. We draw her into a trap." His peripheral vision caught the girl charging towards them. A quick nod to Weiss was the only thing he needed to do before a glyph appeared beneath them, propelling them upwards as he caused a wall of solid rock to erupt from the ground. The atlesian girl managed to avoid it with little to no difficulty. As they were still in the air, Weiss spun around and glyphs circled her, icicles as large as spears thrown towards the musician, who ducked and blew them away as best as he could. Weiss used her glyphs to keep herself in the air, as John fell down and ran towards the boy. His partner noticed him charging, and whatever cry of alert she shouted was missed due to the sound of the trumpet. A wall of ice erupted from a glyph besides him, not only allowing him to cover but also hiding his presence from his opponent, who was too busy watching the skies, avoiding the attacks thrown by the Schnee.

The sound of wheels reached his ears before her weapon could. A coat of ice covered his shield, he sliced horizontally, his sword barely managing to make contact with her skin. She ducked and hit like a snake coiling after a bite. Hit and run method, efficient and well thought, but very annoying and frustrating. He waited until she got close to trap them both into a stone cage. Even with her mobility taken away, she was confident.

"Geez… let's talk about forwardness. Usually, guys pay at least a dinner before taking girls into a room." She teased, her weapon twirling in her fingers.

"Oh, I didn't mean to make that impression. Unfortunately for you, I'm taken." He played along, bashing his shield to the side of the cage, hard enough to break the ice.

"Too bad. You're not bad looking, let's get physical, shall we?" With those words, she charged, and he ducked and twisted his body in order to avoid her and kick her from behind. She crashed into the stone bars, aura slowly depleting. She turned around quickly, only to be met with a sword pommel to the temple. Her aura cracked as she fell to the ground unconscious. The cage crumbled to his will and he ran towards his last combatant. A quick glance at the aura meters showed that Weiss had the upper hand, her aura was dipping into yellow after constantly using her glyphs, but she hadn't been hit yet. The leader of team FNKY, however, was entering the orange zone.

The boisterous voice of professor Port announced his teammate's elimination, which seemed to anger him more. He used his semblance and three copies of himself followed him as he pointed his weapon upwards. Four hurricanes built of sound and dust circled the air, causing Weiss to lose balance. She crashed into the ground, her aura now in the orange. Flynt and his three clones now aimed towards her, ready to deliver a final blow. The sound waves met John's shield before they could cause any damage. He struggled to maintain his ground, feet twisting as they were covered by a layer of rock, securing him into place.

"Weiss, are you okay?" He managed to ask, not sure if she heard him through the sonic attack. He didn't hear a response, but a quick glance backward showed her getting back to her feet. Any words mouthed by her were unheard. Then it hit him. If they couldn't hear a thing at the receiving end, the same should apply to Flynt. A distraction was all they needed.

Fortunately for them, nothing screams distraction like a giant sentient rock.

Flynt was taken back by the sheer presence of Theodore, panic flashing through his eyes as he changed the direction of his attack. This brief moment was all they needed, as Jaune looked back at Weiss and mouthed a command. A sharp nod from the heiress was all he got, as she jumped and twisted in the air, firing herself like an arrow towards Flynt, Theodore crumbled to the ground at John's will. Their opponent turned around only to be met with Weiss' rapier. Three successful strikes hit their target, as the heiress recoiled to avoid retaliation. John quickly took her place, slicing and punching Flynt, giving little to no time for the boy to regain his ground. A buzzer, followed by the cheers of the crowd, announced their victory.

"And with an excellent display of teamwork and talent, Weiss Schnee and Jonathan Beauregard, from team BWBR of Beacon Academy, are the winners of this match!" Doctor Oobleck announced over the cheering public. "Unfortunately, this means team FNKY was eliminated from the tournament, but not without giving us a good fight! Give a round of applause for our contestants, while we'll be right back with another fight!"

 _Fight…_

"Your fight was awesome!" Nora cheered as John and Weiss joined the other half of team BWBR. "You two were slashing, ducking, throwing ice and rocks at them! And then _BAM_! Theodore!"

"It was well thought to use him as a distraction," Ren said from behind Nora. "Though I feel your match could've been finished earlier due to the nature of your semblance."

"But then where would be the fun of it?" Yang chimed in. "No offense, John, but your semblance is seriously cheating. And that comes from a girl who absorbs and reflects damage."

"No offense taken. Besides, I have decided to take it easy on shows of power like that. I'll stick to my strengths, no need to overexert myself… again." He said, locking his hand with Blake's. "And hey, we won! Weiss managed to distract him more than my semblance could."

"That's not true, but I do appreciate the compliment. We worked well, against opponents who we knew nothing about. Let's just hope you'll keep our winning streak during the singles round." Weiss said with a small smile on the corner of her lips. "You're the best chance we have against Pyrrha, anyway."

"I'll look forward to a rematch." The champion said with a friendly smile. "For I too have improved since we last fought."

"I'm sure you have. We'll give them a show, that's for sure." He smiled back. "I am confident enough to say that Beacon has a great chance of winning this year's tournament."

"And we will be the winners!" Ruby cheered with an encouraging smile. "But now we have to hurry! Sun and Neptune's match is going to begin!"

"We'll be right there," He said as the others started to head towards the arena. They could hear Nora and Ruby bickering about whose team would win even when they were out of sight. "You've been awfully quiet, partner. What's on your mind?"

"I'm okay if that's why you're asking. It's nothing." She gripped his hand a little harder. "Let's go watch Sun's fight. Ruby's surely excited to see "totally not her boyfriend", I quote, fight."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could head out." Her ears perked up as he said that, and he restrained himself from telling her how cute that was. "We don't like crowded places, and you clearly have something on your mind. Besides, I'm tired from the fight. Sun will understand. Actually, I think the only person on our team he wants watching his fight is Ruby."

"She sure seems to enjoy it." She teased. "Fine. Lead the way."

 _Way…_

Adam didn't miss the way Blake leaned towards the blonde, how her hands touched his arm, how the bow she used to conceal her heritage moved, giving away her facial expressions even though he wasn't close enough to see it. She was excited, happy, if a little uncomfortable. She'd never been a crowd person, but she still held hands with the human, little gestures, a stifled laughter, a kiss in the cheek… Seeing that made his heart sting with pain. He looked away, the disguise supplied by Cinder allowing him to slip by as a foreign student. His plans would have to change, not that it would concern his benefactor, she had much more to worry about.

Blake was meant to be his, and he was meant to be hers… but for her to show such affection with a human, of all things? It was unacceptable. Not only she had to betray him, but also their own kind.

There would be no forgiveness. No bringing her back. He was hurting, soon it would be her turn. She took herself out of his life, leaving nothing but pain… Let's see how would she handle when the she loses the ones she love. He turns around to face them again, just in time to see the blonde laughing as he wraps an arm around her and kisses her.

Yes, he would be the first to fall… Then Beacon would follow him.

 _Follow…_

Blake followed him through Vale without complaint. She seemed more lively now that they were alone, less worried. That was good. He would tackle the issue when she were ready, but for now it wouldn't hurt to have some fun while the festival was happening. There was so much to see, and while it was fun to go out with their friends, they hadn't had a real opportunity to enjoy themselves since their last date, two days ago.

"So, are you going to tell me where we are going or…" He stopped on his tracks, and she glanced at the name of the restaurant they stopped by. "A sushi bar? Really? I don't know whether to be pleased or offended."

"It was either a sushi bar, or a bookstore filled with smut. Our first date was in a library, so here we are." Her cheeks acquired a tinge of pink as she tried to argue. Her books were art, not smut. "I know you're feeling a bit under the weather, even though you won't tell me why, so I thought this place might cheer you up, it had nice reviews."

"That was nice of you. A bit racist, also, but I'll let it slip." She said with a small smile as they entered the establishment.

"So that means you don't want to go to the box factory next? They have some pretty big boxes." He joked, earning himself a slap on the shoulder. Luckily the place wasn't full, and they were able to find a place without a problem. A waitress stopped by their table shortly after, giving them the menus with a gentle smile. Blake started to look through the menu, pleased with the variety of dishes provided by the restaurant. Soon the waitress took their orders, and they started a peaceful conversation. The place itself had a nice mistralian ambiance she was very familiar with, there was a television screen to the far end of the room, airing the tournament. She recognized the familiar faces of Coco Adel and the muscle mountain that was Velvet's partner, Yatsuhashi, if she recalled correctly. Their fight was against her team's more recent acquaintances: Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. It was bound to be an interesting match since both teams had very experienced fighters. Her eyes scanned the room décor, several pictures of Mistral, a samurai sword that was obviously a replica, and a wood plaque that read:

 **No Faunus allowed.**

She stared at the plaque for too long, perhaps. Since John caught were she was looking at and now mumbled a curse under his breath, painfully aware of the mistake he'd made while choosing the place. He made a motion to get up.

"We can leave if you want to. I can't believe I didn't check…" She place her hand above his, and he seemed to relax a little, enough to sit down again.

"It's fine. We already ordered anyway." She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's not like I never entered a place like this. I can hide in plain sight." His eyes trailed off to her bow.

"But I'm sorry. I should've made sure." He snapped his mouth shut as the waitress returned with their orders, though suddenly he didn't feel as hungry as before.

"It's not your fault." She said once the waitress was out of earshot. "You didn't made they dislike Faunus. You're not the cause of their prejudice." She grabbed a piece of sushi with her chopsticks, savoring the rich taste of rice and shrimp. "The food is good, at least. You should try it."

"How can you be so calm about this?" He asked with a frown. She avoided his eyes and kept eating, and eventually he did the same. It wasn't until they were halfway through the meal she answered back.

"Because being angry about it wouldn't change a thing." She sighed. "There was a time I would get up from this chair and scream my lungs out, demanding equality. But it wouldn't make a difference. If anything, they would feel validated to keep Faunus away from their establishment after a random Faunus girl screams threats at them, only to never come back. It would only make it worse for the next Faunus to visit this place."

"It's still wrong." He mumbled.

"It is." She conceded. "I'm not content with the way things are, but I know that change can't come from threats and violence. My old partner, Adam?" She scoffed. "He would've burned this place to the ground just to get his point through. Being feared isn't the same of being respected, isn't the same of feeling accepted."

"And how would you do it?" John asked. "To change things, I mean."

"I don't know." She answered truthfully. "I know changes like this have to come from above. Getting your point across one person won't get you far. You have to reach a lot of people. To do that, you have to be at the top."

"So step one, conquer the world." He jokes, and she shakes her head in mild amusement. "What's next?"

"I… Gather people with the same ideas you have, I guess." She seemed unsure, but he encouraged her to keep talking. "Influential people who can get you point of view through the masses."

"Strength in numbers. That sounds accurate. Luckily you have know quite the influential people already." He said.

"Weiss?" She guessed, not that it was difficult not to.

"Among others. She's the future of the SDC, so she'll be an important ally. There's Pyrrha, who is a famous figure herself, she holds influence on every aspiring huntsmen and huntresses of our generation. And there's also myself, to some instance. The Beauregard name still holds some influence, even though I'm not really biologically related to it, there's also my connection to Beacon through my adoptive mother, and perhaps one day I'll have a whole kingdom to back you up.

"But you don't want that." She stated as a matter of fact.

"What I really want is my family back." He said with a small frown. "But I can't have that. The closest thing I can do to set things right is to show people the truth about what happened to them."

"But that doesn't mean you have to reign. You can resign. I know you don't want to spend the rest of your days sitting on a throne doing royal gibberish. You're a fighter, a leader, yes, but more of a general than a king."

"You seem so sure of that. Not interested in becoming a queen, I suppose?" He chucked at the way her cheeks darkened when he said that, even if the idea wasn't entirely impossible. It was way to soon to even think about that though, so he laughed it off. "You're right, I guess. Even though I was trained to reclaim the position, it doesn't mean I want it. Honestly, I'd much rather live a quiet life, but not until things are settled, and the world knows the truth."

"As long as you're happy with your path, I guess." She took a sip of her beverage. "It's a worthy goal."

"So is yours. Luckily we can figure things out together." She smiled at that. Together… yes, she would like that. "To worthy goals, and better days to come." He raised his cup, and after a somewhat amused shake of her head, she raised hers too.

On the background, Mercury and Emerald were announced as victors.

 _Victors..._

"I suppose congratulations are in order." His smooth, silky voice was followed by a clink of glasses. The woman's amber eyes follow his, as she chuckled.

"Their victory was not only expected, but assured. They won't fail unless I want them to. You should know that already, Michael." The man nodded, tilting his glass towards her, as if accepting her reasoning.

"Of course. I wouldn't envy the soul who failed you." He said, as she raised an eyebrow.

"The same can apply to you, I suppose. Though your men have proved to be extremely loyal." She filled her cup with more wine. "They seemed very cautious about my presence here."

"I'm their king." He said, as if it answered everything. The frown that marked his face softened as he took her hand. "The same loyalty would be given to you, you know."

"If I were your queen, you mean?" His eyes avoided hers, and his silent response secretly amused her. "I'm afraid after what's going to happen to Beacon, my name will be uttered with fear, not praise."

"As you said yourself, only of you want to, or loose ends are left. Somehow I think you don't want either of those things to happen." He said, and she answered with a nod.

"It would be easier, I suppose. Our Lady's plans don't end at Beacon, after all." She sighed. "It would be so much easier to walk around freely than hidden by the shadows."

"I disagree with you on that sentence." Michael smirked, his figure now covered with a thin layer of flickering black smoke. She shook her head, rolling her eyes in anything but amusement. "I can help you, you know. That's why I'm here."

"I thought you were here for the boy." He sighed, and gave her a short nod. "I have my goal, you have yours. Let's just leave it at that."

"People can have more than one goal." He said, his face approaching hers, his hand toying with a lock of black hair. "I would like to think I would be involved in one of yours, Cinder." He purred, causing the woman to raise an eyebrow. A nice attempt of seduction, she'd give him a seven out of ten, she wouldn't let a seven phase her, however. Not even a ten could phase her.

"You would like that, I suppose. I'm guessing I'm involved in a goal of yours?" She asked instead, leaning forward and almost closing the space between them. Her eyes flickered with amusement as she saw his face and neck gain a tinge of red.

"I think I've been pretty blunt, haven't I, Cinder?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead vanishing in blur of black smoke. She smiled to herself.

Men…

How easily bewitched.

 _Easy…_

"Our fight was so easy! You should've seen, man!" Sun exclaimed after telling John and Blake the totality of his match, against a duo from Shade. Ruby chipped in with comments about the functionality of their weapons and all the features displayed, including a three-minute rant about the awesomeness of gun-chucks. Blake was putting up her best neutral book face at that point, and Jaune was trying hard not to follow after her example. After he finally finished, John gave a nervous laugh.

"It seems like you had a blast." He subtly poked Blake, to call her conscience back to this realm. She nodded to whatever he said shortly after. He heard Yang snort behind them. "Unfortunately we had plans for the day, but congratulations anyway! We should celebrate."

"Oh, we already did. My team and I had lunch at that noodle place. If you're a victor you get a free drink!" He exclaimed, and Yang perked up behind them.

"Really?! Well, that's one more reason for you and I to win tomorrow, Pyrrha! Momma needs a free drink." The redhead gently chuckled.

"If we don't, I'll pay you that drink myself." She said.

"Not that you'll need to." Weiss said. "I doubt there's a single pair remaining who'll stand a chance against you two. The ones who could already fought. Mercury and Emerald? Maybe. Sun and Neptune? Unlikely if there was any water involved. No offense." She added for good measure.

"None taken." Sun sighed. "We were lucky against NDGO. If Neptune hadn't help me when he did we would've lost."

"He has to work on that if he wants to be a huntsman." Ren said. "Fear is good because it keeps you alert, but irrational fear just makes you act, well, irrationality."

"Try to hammer that into his head." Sun sighed. "He'll get better. Since our team was formed, we've been helping him. I can proudly say he can enter a bathtub now." Silence followed. "That did sound better on my head."

"What about you and John, Weiss?" Ruby, of all people, asked in an attempt to get rid of the awkward mood. "Would you stand a chance against Pyrrha and Yang?"

"We would win." John answered before Weiss could, the heiress nodding with a proud smile shortly after. "Me against Yang, Weiss wears Pyrrha off with superior speed and dust. She wouldn't win by herself, by any means, but she could last long enough if she kept her distance and played carefully, long enough for me to finish Yang, run and help her."

"I would give you a run for your money, John." Yang said with a wink. "Just because you beat me once or twice…"

"That's you silly!" Nora said, pausing her conversation with Ren. "You won like, three times against him, and that's because you tricked him into hand to hand combat."

"Blasphemy! From my own teammate! I've been betrayed." She fake-sobbed.

"Well, we might as well prove it once the tournament is over." Weiss said with a challenging smile. "Hypothesis won't get us anywhere, but once the tournament ends, why not set this down?"

"I like the sound of that. I'm up for it!" Yang says, turning to her partner. "What do you say, Pyr?"

"It would be a pleasure." She said with a nod. Yang elbowed her, and the champion sighed before adding. "By then I will have already defeated you, after taking the crown from your hands."

"Better. But we still need to work on those punchlines." Yang said, not noticing him or Blake flinching at the way she worded the sentence. "Try adding a pun at the end of it."

"Over my dead body."

"But it's punny!"

"Xiao Long, I swear to god…"


	23. Chapter 22 - Oblivion

**Two chapters at once?!**

 **What is this madness?!**

 **Welp, I wasn't exactly sitting around doing nothing.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy these, though. The next chapter will be out as soon as I finish it.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes, I'm still writing with my phone only, so a few things may get past me. But if anyone knows a useful app for writing, please let me know!**

 **-x-**

"And there we have it, folks! Our top eight contestants who will represent their schools during the 1v1 matches!" Professor Port announces proudly. "It seems like the four academies still have a chance of winning this year's tournament! It is bound to be a very interesting year."

"Yes indeed, Peter." Doctor Oobleck follows. "But before we randomly select the first match of the day, we have a very special announcement, from no other than the King of Arkend, Michael Rasputin!" The cameras miss the way John flinched, his hands shaking. He watched as the screens of the arena showed the man's face, a warm smile gracing his features as he politely accepted the cheers of the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you. I have no words to express how honored I feel to say that soon there won't be four academies competing in this tournament." His voice was smooth, every word was enunciated fluidly and with confidence. He knew what he was doing. "Madrigal Academy is being finished as we speak, and Arkend will finally have its own representatives partaking this honorable event. I hope Madrigal Academy will live up to its name and become a safe refuge, where every voice can be heard. Faunus, human, civilian, huntsman. May all those voices become one. May peace reign and prosper for many years to come. May our voices be heard in the darkness, even the ones that were lost." He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "I wish all contestants the best of luck, because they already proved their skill. Now, let's keep the celebration going! The festival is far from over, and a champion has yet to take the crown!"

Cheers from the audience followed his speech as John completely froze, the last words were clearly directed towards him. Michael's face flashed out of the screen and gave place to the random generator. Mercury Black was the first face to appear, followed by himself.

Lady Luck clearly wasn't on his side.

"And that will be the first match! Mercury Black, from Haven, versus Jonathan Beauregard, from Beacon. What an interesting match it will be, for sure!" Doctor Oobleck says over the cheers of the crowd. "May the other contestants leave the stage, please?" His eyes caught Pyrrha's, who was quick to notice his discomfort. She mouthed him a quick "good luck", her eyes showing concern. He nodded absent-mindedly, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. Sun have him a thumbs up as he walked by, also in a show of support.

"Guess we'll finally know who would've won that match." He heard Mercury say besides him. The boy had a confident smirk, to which John could only counter with a firm nod.

"I won't go easy on you." He said as his opponent walked towards his side of the arena.

"I wouldn't want or expect otherwise." The silver-haired boy said, combat stance ready. John took a deep breath and did the same. Relax… He told himself. There was no way Michael would try anything, not here, not now. He felt the weight on his shoulders reduce substantially, giving place to adrenaline.

Three…

His team was counting on him. Beacon was counting on him.

Two…

Nothing bad would happen here, not now.

One…

Do it for them. Do it for her.

Begin!

His eyes hardened as he dashed forward, Mercury's boot connected to his shield, and he twisted his leg in an attempt to disarm him. Not that it was going to work. The only person who had managed to disarm him into hand to hand was Yang, and he had developed a fairly good trick against it.

Nothing said "get your hands out of my weapons" like a stone pillar to the face. Mercury avoided the constructs by doing a series of flips, each time shooting some kind of flare out of his boots. The shots turned the pillars into rumble, but that was only more ammunition for John. Mimicking a move he had seen Pyrrha doing once, he slammed his shield hand into the ground, pieces of rock of multiple sizes were hurled into the air. In a theatrical, if not old-fashioned, move he pointed his sword towards Mercury and the big rocks were hurled at him with reasonable speed. The smaller rocks flew like bullets, however, and his opponent was having a bad time trying to avoid them.

Mercury was done with the rocks, it seemed. He started shooting the air in circles, his moves mimicking a break-dancer. The shots circled him as a tornado. Wind dust, maybe? The rocks were not only blocked by the tornado, but also redirected. He raised his shield to smash a particular stone that was coming towards him and was surprised to see his opponent right above him, ready to land an axe kick. John wasn't able to block it in time, but redirected the damage to his shoulder blades rather than his face, by turning around. Mercury was quicker than him, and it showed, as he was already kicking John's abdomen and ribcage in a series of consecutive kicks. He was preparing for a roundhouse when John's fist closed onto his feet, making him lose balance for a moment. Before Mercury could shoot a projectile at him, John threw him away. Instead of falling, Mercury backflipped. But by the time he regained his footing it was John's time to overwhelm him with a series of slashes and thrusts of his sword.

Mercury covered his face with his forearms and took the damage, retaliating with side kicks whenever an opportunity showed. The damage he was doing wasn't enough comparing to the damage he was taking, and he knew he wouldn't last long. He prepared to jump, shooting the space between them and causing smoke to obscure John's eyesight. He kept his shield up and listened. Mercury wasn't the only one who could use wind tricks. Gathering some of his aura he summons Anemoi, and the smoke clears. Mercury was quick to try and fill the gap between them, twisting his body to deliver a butterfly kick. A simple order to Anemoi and the blow never connected. A powerful gust blew Mercury away, and John used the moment to deliver a few shots himself. Mercury retaliated, shooting from his boots while still being in mid air. He also used the shots to maneuver himself in the air, allowing him a soft landing.

Close combat was not an option unless he caught Mercury by surprise. Range could work, but Mercury could retaliate as well. There was no outspeeding him, but he had something Mercury didn't.

A seriously overpowered semblance, quoting Yang.

With Anemoi by his side he dashed forward, his speed now almost on pair with Mercury's thanks to Anemoi's boost. The silver haired boy was surprised, but covered it quick, aiming a low roundhouse kick to destabilize John. It would have worked if Anemoi hadn't intervened, lifting John into the air just enough for the blow to miss.

Exploiting the brief advantage, John delivered a kick of his own onto Mercury's face, causing the boy to fall backwards. His aura cracked as he struggled to get up, but the buzzer announced John's victory, and he let his control over Anemoi slip, the golem dispersing in the wind. The crowd cheered louder and louder as the voice of Professor Port filled the arena once more. There was something else that caught his earing, and his mind started buzzing slightly. It was a familiar feeling, it was almost…

"I'll show you who's the real loser!" Blue eyes widened as he saw Mercury dash towards him, and the buzzing intensified. In a moment he saw Mercury walking calmly towards him, hand extended in a friendly gesture, and then the boy was dashing again, foot ready to strike. The buzzing intensified until it stopped completely, and Mercury stood there. A worried, if slightly confused expressions on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and John nodded weakly.

"A headache. Terrible one." He grabbed Mercury's hand, which was still extended towards him, and shook it. "Great match, by the way. I think I just overworked myself."

"Yeah, sure. Get well." The boy said before jogging away to his changing room. What a weird headache, but at least Mercury handled his loss well. He entered his own changing room, and was greeted by the angry face of Katherine Beauregard.

"You're not safe." She said before he could open his mouth. "We need to talk."

 _Talk…_

"What the hell, Emerald! You were supposed to do your mind stuff!" Mercury shouted angrily, a tint of despair in his voice.

"I did! I swear I did! It was working, but then something fought back!" She sounded scared, no, terrified, but it wasn't because of Mercury.

The door to their dorm opened, revealing no other than Cinder Fall, accompanied by Neopolitan. They both froze in fear, her cold glare being enough to stop them in their tracks. She expected them to bow, beg for her forgiveness, and Emerald seemed about to do that, but before she could, a fire whip cracked into the air, silencing the girl.

"Can someone please explain to me why the boy wasn't framed?" Her eyes flared with anger but her voice was calm, which made her even more terrifying. "Mercury?"

"I did what you asked me to do." He blurted out, to her secret amusement. Throwing Emerald to the Beowolves, huh? She could at least respect that. "I fought him and lost, as you asked. And then at the end I went and tried to give him a handshake. But nothing happened! He… he complained about a headache but that was it!"

"So I did affect him!" Emerald exclaimed, somewhat relieved. Cinder's glare was enough to silence her again.

"Then why he did not attacked Mercury when he was supposed to, dear Emerald?" Emerald took a deep breath, calming down.

"Everything was going as it should, I entered his head and planted the illusion. As I was maintaining it, something started to push me out of his mind. I tried to fight back, but it was just so much stronger. And then when it started to enter my head instead of blocking me from his I had to pull out." Cinder hummed, contemplating her words.

"The Beauregard matriarch." She concluded. "I was informed of her abilities, but I wasn't counting on her presence. She's a telepath, certainly the strongest alive. Not that are so many to begin with…" She stopped herself before she started deviating from the subject. "You did well in retreating then, if she had gotten a hold of your mind my plan would be compromised."

"So what now, boss?" Mercury asked. "I'm out of the competition."

"Your presence was necessary, dear Mercury, though not vital. While I would have loved to set the crowd against Beacon, and Ozpin, a change of targets may be all we needed." She opened her scroll, to reveal the fight scheduled for later that day.

"Sun Wukong, from Haven, versus Killian O'Hara, from Atlas." Emerald read. "Isn't that…"

"The son of Cynthia O'Hara, owner of Latros Industries. Known for hiring Faunus for less than appropriate salaries, putting it lightly." Mercury said, an eyebrow raised.

"They made the SDC look good years ago, by how badly they treated Faunus employees." Emerald said, suddenly understanding Cinder's plan. "Wukong is a Faunus. We're putting people against the White Fang." Cinder nodded. "But how? I doubt O'Hara is going to agree to this, and I can't control more than a person at a time."

"There's where our dear Neo comes in." Said girl smirks, light changing and warping around her, making her look like a copy of the atlesian student. "Now we just have to make sure he wont actually show up, and gather his weapon."

Neo's grin became wider.

 _Wide…_

Blake's eyes were wide open after he told her what happened.

"You're not safe." She said. "You have to leave with her until things calm down."

"I'm not going with her and leave you guys behind." He answered, resolute. "Besides, we still have a tournament to win."

"The tournament is not important!" He sighed in silent agreement, her anger subsided as she placed a hand over his chest. "You don't have to act like you're not afraid. Like nothing is wrong. You want to stay? Fine, but take precautions. Ozpin knows?"

"By this time, I think so, yeah. My mother definitely knows, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ironwood was informed." Blake nodded.

"Good. They're probably discussing this as we speak." She relaxed a bit. "But why would someone want you to attack Mercury?"

"It would be an international incident. It would cause an uproar." He pointed. "And a lot of negative emotions, definitely."

"We should investigate him, he may know something." Blake suggested. "I was trained for years in the White Fang Gang and I could…"

"No. If he's into something, you'll be putting yourself in danger." He said with a frown. "I doubt Katherine will let him slip by. She can enter his mind and gather everything she needs without he even noticing. It's safer this way."

"Since when you do safe?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, if I am prohibited to do careless things, so are you missy." He joked, hoping to lift up the mood in the room. "I should probably tell Weiss and Ruby. If anything happens to them because they've not been prepared…"

"You should." Blake nodded. "We should all carry out weapons with us from now on, and stick together. Maybe tell team LPYN to do the same."

"It's not going to be an easy talk." He sighed.

"No, it's not." She wrapped her arm around his. "But it's better than being too late to warn them."

"You're right. I'll call them." He said, grabbing his scroll. "They should be watching Sun's fight. I don't know if they will pick up."

"They'll be here sooner or later. It'll give you time to think about how you're telling them."

"But-"

"No excuses."

 _Excuses…_

"I'm tired of your excuses, Ozpin!" Katherine exclaimed, her finger pointed towards the white-haired headmaster. He sat on his desk patiently, with Ironwood and Qrow by his side. Glynda stood in between them, ready to diffuse the situation. "We all knew they would come for him, yet you act like this was nothing!"

"I'm simply not willing to risk causing an international incident because of something that could be nothing." He said. "Barging into the student's door and letting you scan every inch of his mind might be considered so."

"I'm not exactly an unknown huntress. People know my abilities, know who I am and know how hard I fought to protect them. I still have connections with media and politicians, I could contain the situation myself, semblance of not. No one would ever know, of course, but if they did, their reaction would be contained." She said, resolute.

"She's right on that regard." Ironwood says with a nod, turning to face Ozpin.

"The boy should be protected and this could qualify as a threat. Katherine has a unique skill set and will be able to this quicker and quieter than any other spy could."

"I'll even make it painless if it makes you feel better." She said mockingly. "Shall they prove themselves as enemies, that is."

"I'm not letting you kill my students."

"If they are only your students then they'll have nothing to worry about. Is this how lowly you think of me?" She scoffed. "Did you at least contact Leo? Are they really students of Haven?"

"Leo has an appointment with the council today, but their transcripts seem legitimate." Glynda said with a sigh. "Ozpin, usually I would condone such actions, but let her gather information on them. I don't think killing would be the right alternative either, but Katherine is more than able to subdue them into telepathic subservience if they prove to be a threat. James would do the rest." The general nodded.

"My ship will be able to contain them until further notice, shall we need." He says, turning to Ozpin. "We have nothing to lose if we make this now." The headmaster of Beacon sighs, turning to the only person in the room who hadn't spoke a word.

"What are your thoughts, Qrow?" He asked the scythe wielder, who only shrugged.

"I would volunteer to spy on them myself, if there was time." He took a flask out of his coat's inner pocket. "But we don't have the time to be subtle, or to postpone this. Transcripts can be faked, and if they also have a telepath their presence would be easily masked. I say aye."

"Very well." Katherine faced Ozpin with a triumphant smile. "It seems like we're in…" The holographic desk lit up, the voice of Professor Port filled the room.

"Ozpin, we have a big problem!" His voice was exasperated, trying to be louder than the screams and protests of the audience. Every huntsman in the room turned to the screen.

"What happened?!"

"Check… footage… Wukong…" His voice was overthrown by the audience's uproar, Ozpin ended the call and searched for the footage. The screen paused.

Just in time to show Sun Wukong shooting a hole through his opponent's stomach.

The room was silent, Katherine cleared her throat, gathering their attention.

"James, take the boy to be interrogated. I don't think he's the one behind what we've seen, but we have to be sure. Qrow, Glynda, gather Mercury Black's team." She paused, eyeing the headmaster with concern. "Ozpin, deal with the backlash. Get Leo to talk, see if the student is okay, keep the face. We can't have that amount of negativity right now." All eyes were on Ozpin, as if waiting for his approval.

"Do as she said. I'll have to deal with the Council." Four people left the room, leaving the headmaster by himself. Once he was alone, he sighed. Another mistake…

He was going to need some stronger coffee.

 _Strong…_

"Yesterday's match ended up with a strong image of Sun Wukong, a young huntsman in training, shooting his opponent, Killian O'Hara in the abdomen after the match was over. Wukong was taken by atlesian soldiers, and we have yet to know his fate. Rumors say that the reason behind the attack was due to a possible association with the White Fang, It wouldn't be too farfetched due to the long history of violence between the organization and the O'Hara family, but this has yet to be confirmed as an act of the terrorist group. We also have confirmation that no other than Katherine Beauregard, war hero and skilled telepath, is aiding the investigation. The huntress was considered to be MIA after the death of the Arc family, but apparently took refuge in Vale with her grandson, Jonathan Beauregard. The young Beauregard is also taking part in the tournament, heading to the finals after his match against Mercury Black. He is also known by his participation during the defense of Vale at the Breach, and by his fight at the docks against the renowned criminal Roman Torchwick. We have yet to see the end of this story. My name is Lisa Lavender, and I…" Cinder Fall turned the television off. Everything was going according to the plan. Thee Beauregard matriarch had been a nuisance, but things were back on track. Now if only…

"Oh, Neo." She said as the girl materialized in the corner of her room. The new hideout had been necessary, since they had to flee Beacon as soon as the match was over. "I take that your mission was successful?" The ice cream themed girl smirked, blood spilled over her clothes. She simply flickered her eyes to the television in mild amusement. Without battling an eyelash, Cinder turned the television on again.

"Breaking news, the hospital where Killian O'Hara was hospitalized was attacked, several bodies of staff and security were found, along with the young huntsman. Police suspects the White Fang is responsible, and several Grimm masks, similar to the ones used by the members of the organization, were found at the place. The chief of police gave us his thoughts on the attack, and express his condolences to the families of the victims. Cyril, can you tell us what is…"

"Good job, Neo. Did you plant the scapegoat?" The girl nodded. Good, that should be enough to take any suspicions on their part. Adam wouldn't miss a common soldier or two, how would he put it? For the greater good… She chuckled to herself, as the screen showed two bodies wearing White Fang uniforms were removed from the burning hospital.

Greater good indeed…


End file.
